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BY HENRY VAN DYKE 


Six Days of the Week 





Little Rivers 

Fisherman’s Luck 

Days Off 

Out-of-Doors in the Holy Land 





The Ruling Passion 
The Blue Flower 

The Unknown Quantity 
The Valley of Vision 





Camp-Fires and Guide-Posts 
Companionable Books 





Poems, Collection in one volume 





Songs out of Doors 

Golden Stars 

The Red Flower 

The Grand Canyon, and Other Poems 
The White Bees, and Other Poems 
The Builders, and Other Poems 
Music, and Other Poems 

The Toiling of Felix, and Other Poems 
The House of Rimmon 





Studies in Tennyson 
Poems of Tennyson 
Fighting for Peace 


CHARLES SCRIBNER’S SONS 


Six Days of The Week 





ND>2>AS2IA|D>IAl SSP LH UKEES KES NERES REESE 


Six Days of 
The Week 


A Book of Thoughts About Life 
and Religion 
By 
Henry’van Dyke 


Ge 


CHARLES SCRIBNER’S SONS 
NEW YORK + LONDON 


1924 
I D>>>PUIDSD>DIAU DS>>Al-D>>>il Hi ws IKCKS NKCKKS NRCC ECE It 


BE IEEEE EKER KEES NEEKE KEKE KEKE IIKEKE IIKKESIIKEKE IKEER IEE IIKEKE IKKE IKKESIKKKSI 
BEIERKENIREECIIERRENERKK EIR EKE IEE ES | KEKG IEEE EIREKSIEEECIIREKS IIRKER REECE IKECEI KEKE! 


COPYRIGHT, 1924, BY 


CHARLES SCRIBNER’S SONS 


COPYRIGHT, 1923, 1924, BY THE REPUBLIC SYNDICATE 


PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 





TO 
HAMILTON GIBSON 


MASTER OF THE GUNNERY SCHOOL 
DEAR TO ME AS A SON 


Digitized by the Internet Archive 
in 2022 with funding from 
Princeton Theological Seminary Library 


https://archive.org/details/sixdaysofweekboo00vand 


A WORD TO EXPLAIN 


Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy work. —Exodus 20: 9. 


Any man who tries to keep this part of the Fourth 
Commandment in letter and in spirit will have his 
hands full. He will be busy from morning till evening. 
Often, when night comes, he will find that though he 
has labored he has not done “‘all his work.” 

None the less, if he is a real man, he may like to have 
some kind of a friendly word at the end or the be- 
ginning of a working day, to remind him of what his 
work means and to suggest to him why it is worth 
while to keep on doing it. 

But the message must be short, else it will be more 
of a burden than a help to a working day. ‘That is 
why these papers are so brief and incomplete,—mere 
fragments and suggestions. On Sundays there is, or 
ought to be, time for longer considerations and reflec- 
tions. But Sundays are not included in this calendar. 
These are only notes for the other days. 

They were written from time to time (and in part 
selected from my former books), because they seemed 
to have some bearing on the vital relations of religion 
and life. They were printed by a syndicate in many 
daily newspapers, under the title of “The Guide-Post.” 
Sending them out under this new title, I can only hope 
that readers may find here some things to agree with, 
some things to question, and some things to try out. 

I believe that nothing is true on Sunday that is not 
true on the six other days of the week. 


Henry VAN DyKE. 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 
The Friend of Our Souls, 9.) p07) ee ae ee AS 
What God' Requires 24's. 3) ss hee 46 
Vox’ Popul: yun ea a's Pe ee 47 
About; Lincoln’s Biathday I: 2.0) ae eee 48 
About Lincoln’s' Birthday Il. > 2 cle see a ee 49 
About Lincoln’s Birthday Il] | 3) eee a eee 50 
Probation c/s as (ies ee St 
Ot One Blood 03.2) kek Be ae ee 53 
The Strongest Sermon in the World . . -.....7 1) 2.58 54 
God Sets Us'an' Example.) 7.) . 57) eee 55 
Mystery in Religion’, 2 svi Yaseen oO 57 
Loans Good and Bad@oxe 2) 72 05-. WV See 58 
Forbearance; en eee oe eee) uke: eee 59 
About: Washington's’ Birthday. 1) 75.7.) ) 2. ae 60 
About Washington's Birthday [1D 2) te eae 62 
abe ThingsithatAre Abovel jis 40. o.0i9) ay eee 64 
College Students siitaig. Ue ah oe owe ce ee 66 
(sod’s: Goodness and Glory, .|. 3 27}. Gana ee 67 
he Secret hings:, 3) sysree Ge. been ee ee 68 
Judgement :1s:God’s Province) 4,-1.0 sea cae eae te 69 
Answering Fools! 2. .'0si5° 5% e Acubieutis (ee ee a 70 
he: Horizon iyi neve a RA ane alee tT 
God’s Omniscience not Fate soja eauad nee ms 
The Center of the Many-sided Gospel . ... . . #13 
(sod Sovereign and’Man’ Free ©) 7 3 (0. 0 ee 76 
ihe. Way.to Prove Our: Creedi® .7 21, 5) eee + 9 Jen b eee 
Large Blessings'of a Brief Creed ~ sande >c) 2 eu eee 78 
Limited Knowledge)... 5°.) 0) Ss Nee 79 
ThevHungerfor broth)": . 0 ee ee 80 
Christianity Tells: 200.0 2) 66 0 se 82 
Unity Paes eos. File ae 83 
Lhe: Pather’ot' Us Alli s(t ink ob. die oe a 84. 


CONTENTS 


Rejoice AP ERE UAC EY a is IMMER CS oie 
Heniportality and! blappiless ty seve (lhe bee yee 
SAEL POLL eh GO MN! hs UI Ser apt ce MRM DEM TOME MATES, Oya 
Serangryoung Men Ml co can pda Aad ots ie 
DAICRIO NATION. aw. dec, +) sue Na al ns ad he ie 
PROG E OIG S Ae ic ccs sy) SRO aU eg Hci 
evolution son Vore Religion! ® ees whodunit: 
POP RINCUIQION Uo: Saks a ce Bie ere Vere, Sere ne ide ete 
MUTI IN OP POW ET ily (loss) wir) shu lnnlS Ear SL ERO A aS, 
epreacin® the loigh tig tue avs. tu. yates cake cule 
bbc Apostle ohn adi y Bere ee Ale ie aa ie: 
ibe: Powenotne Cross soar yh kegel ae ol ek. nes 
Concerning the Dead Nothing but Good. . . . ... 
Mier GreacLunOltuovel joo (eel na whe Paar) 2 | dat Mau el Vg 
GCA te LOL Vim. o.A00 uno gys ba KP) mat eae tls Wy Coe ON ar 
iermooncton of Wise Men) 1) nol i akan. 

Meare Diessandab ictures tr. sa: hth, eee bcgi erie lam Gane 
he eDrawine Power of the Cross) vee a 
CESS SET ae SA ihey Loe a ee ON RN sare ge Re Wey La Mal ear ean ay 
sine CO DOREGITIt Ol, Lileee aries ae ei gua eke a! ee 
ey Ot Gumer en sche. Cau Gh Mog eh NL lal) eee 
PCAC CT OU VP cite tue PAV acta its SMe) ace toe his Ae 
GEIS cE LAI NOR OO. 7 canis Wit ae soles SAS OL aL Suns 
PVESULTCCHIOMMNO Wi wht Wclie 0h. Ga bate dr av th Inertia se omits 
fooverthe Leoplerui: the; World oaet weeds Ae yale we 
CUPRA DEED abehe | erie iat UE ay aaa Mera SR ack aR ve A NRT FA 
Bem E Oot: alent an ene aah au hi esas okt. eS 
Menitvinioithe Diblen* ler anata es gabe fe oe Ret Ont oUm 
Mies our. Coepel sy: tarts mate ees \ ePnnCat, Sik ta A 
Lnethower of. C hrist’s;Resurrectionse i. 1.) Bote iy beers 
PidOLesto. LeSDONCEN Cyne. s ituseeit ices aa taste ie 
SIA Eas Nl tie LR REY taki NWA ESRD SAL bets OO UO 


CONTENTS 


Theiniluence of ood) Men’... 292s oa ee 
pe rGod OF Drath hy si) fod) hy ae Ee Ree 
‘The Everyman, Gospél a5) 2 Ka hots ee 
A Divine lmpossibjlity ook... Pa a eee 
The Divine Power Is‘Scli-Limited 2) 4 4.5) ety 
Tite’ More-Abundantly G4. SU ae 
Perilous Luxuries... sj.) 0 ee ee 
Movine Daytn i. bo) AS ee 
Contagious: Goodness 7 2S 4. Oe Be ee 
FHlowito SpoilsacBoy ve oe.) Sees ly ae De : 
Saving Daylight by Fooling Ourselves... ..... 
Nervous Prostration:Gureds. #07) 6.0%) Pe 
AbietGrea tt Pledge: ) Beer oy aw Ae Ce tO Ser 
Be Goods Ways i ovat rena eh te han co eh Sa Oe aa 
FiresCannotburattie: (rit hwaoey 40 jets sa eee 
Judge VY ourselfiwith: Others’ '5 Suge oes eee 
‘he Right’ Way ‘to Love Ourselves: 2 Dea 
Dastiand Spirity tic Gavan eee Sa ee 
Cannibalismeand Gossip to) i ee oe eee 
Learn by the World’s Experience . .........- 
small Desires*and noi Fears |) 4) veh ta a ie tee ae 
he, Perilotilonorance giv iW re een oe 
Despondency Overcome )(a 0. ei. cae 
Hoo Manyeliawsyth fasta (oh tea ial. ee ee 
SioallyFhinps ute Verse ts bie say hast anaes ne ee ae 
A CaretoriManttys 1) ced ouite c.g) a 7tu ley sr cea 
Rich-and:Pooredvial ols 4178/1. 2 oe ae 
QOutetiand' Content 46 in. Ve a Ae 
Phe: Grindtopaten aie sh esa eee cneluh nee eee 
A Friend in: Youth and Old Age’ "7 a.2 ae eee 
Bible Reading e055) cae ee 


FLAMES Hee Rs NEE EP OO aa et PONE MAN ie 


CONTENTS 


AY Medical! Experiences ii) (oN eee. 
ReMs NG CDCI TA even y Mase RNa Mean 
ibe oisagreeavie® | ruth ire ee Aue 
pinesuictude or Christ rs) ..0 01 aa aoane 
PeruemNerghbor-Love: 6.40!) 2 Aes 
Brouurrommtne Past.) 2). J) wae aa ue 
fine: Moctryoriieavenly.Love ti. ose) 
Choose Your Port—Then Lay Your Course 


The Progressive Is a True Conservative . . 
Don’t Blackguard the Puritans. ..... 


he nstinch on lrayerm Appi enti ey 
PION SnPE TOPTESS Aa a) eee Te Le etre ie a 


Breil rahtothite cee e chk RAL, 


PAUMIATECSTCCTIN DE 1 case) ey iw a na er oe 


‘The Father'of Lies . ... . ° A hee eae Vite 
REMUS LENO TI eee Fly tht ncaa ie Yh Aan ig 
Regret and Self-Condemnation ..... . 
Prem ounrise Of GGOd ss) Par iS Seen 
POOHGHPINGVELLICS it se”. 15) Glo) tie eee NG 
BAGH Tray IS1OTHe I) |, Mea ebaliae. VaR een 
meena TO CES Hem os eyhsltcylh den. ey 
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ear imiOtr seat Barney ek ic kane Thera 


Jes LUGTEET Suites Si) ao ee beeen A OER Oke Rens 
nuvery Person also a Neighbor ray ai Lh eas 
MWY VITCU CS a ee rel Liisa oye eune enn hens Fy 
Bymermecret: PAVILION souls hx ke et ee ess 
ine Love. ot Freedom ii \> nog. yale ae 
What aCitizenOwes ...... BD’. ates 
AO VEL IVErse a eit Mia el Gin any 1M 


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False Love of Self 0.0 2 54 eth oka oS We iar as A Gan 


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CONTENTS 


Music for the Journey... 4 9. 0 See 


All the Days of Your Life k 


oe Fe yhe Yel O Wolk ser premmuen mean as 


Hidden Sins’ 6 2 3 a ee 


Honorable. Women’ . 2... 24) 2.) 


Marry Young (2.00... Tis 2% 74 


Bringing up Children . . . 2). 2). 3) 
The Forest Fire of Evil... 7.7), 3G 


Csood-Bye'and.Mizpah.. . > .. .,) \52iae 


Rest on a Rough Road .. . 


ee ee en Pe ee te 


The Mountains and the Sea. . \. . \ 7 0) ee 


Malicious Whispers . . . . . 
The Suddenness of Death 
Remembrance and Progress 


Hear the Other Sides" ian, 


ee Me Se Pe ERs ei cy 


oe 6 Veta aie tent cre. ene cone 


Beyond Fear 3. 2040 0.) 44) rr 


A Wayside Spring... . . . . 14 
Friendship for All Seasons . -) 222) alae 


The Poetry of Brotherhood 


Pe ES We fk PR 


Home and City 2.00.05 30). 


The Source of War Ns 
The Humbleness of the Wise . 


Ce ke en Me eC CR 


Co Me i 


The Breath of the Spirit (0. Ya) 2. 


A Shepherd in Palestine . 


eet gle y) el Mets ) ie > et alae ere ee 


Tongue-Fire 2) a) hi 


Thirsting for the House of God 
The Call of the Trumpet . . 
Love Is Stronger than Wrath . 
God'ssImpartialitvi er eyicy ue 
HeaveneWithingesams yan 
Evolution in the Bible .. . 


a. ‘el ole is lek ) 6) 2/om Gon one 


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e ‘eo ¢ oy Sef) eo, (olen a eens 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 
PACU urge eis! "| ca). BRO TCa ek amr ae IN bert oh 224 
indnesDays obs hy Youth: i) kane hls. yee eek h ae) 225 
Perionts Cities, fave at. Meir ee A ha. ware Sia 226 
hetAlmighty.) 08. )°. Yt GUMS Rie ATOM se Jel 8 atte 227 
Clear Speech the Best Eloquence ....... BNP Tahs28 
Hkable Manners: 3) 0)! 5) gh | RE ere ee a FA 229 
a wouWinds of Vanity, <i) ps sbi eweirone ee ete. 230 
‘RievFoundation of Peacesii., ga. Vee ae, a Pe 231 
The Miracle of Human Intercourse. . ....... 232 
hesWish fori Happiness: .8.(". is, packet eee aes 233 
hes Promise-ombappiness + dea toes HONE, hy VOR SEN A 234 
pies cacherrotumappiness) cron n.d seh en eee ee 235 
ihe: Secretiop Happinessi. meas ke sok a ah 236 
fuhes Dury ottappiness: 2)... er atin Cat Loc) 237 
Ebbewbeauty of, Happinessy S95.) Busi oh ee 238 
NielcuGraceiully or not’at alk’... .+ jie BO 239 
HESS COLIC 6 «We AR a RS SLUR ae Pe ae gy 240 
Pneviindtbe:- Meni). 4). aller alae kaw Pe ae one 241 
mne-Gurser Asks for'a i Blessing 2) Ms) S857 Wy eos 242 
Walls on or Wont You. Be Chosen?) in ees Way horton 243 
Pebct beauty ob Holiness. :.0 9 csh a0 )y URS ee 244 
ArPhilesophyotluite pe. 24 cade. Ue ae 245 
MmheNew: Witehcratt, sh .s.2 dein) ns aS Seen 247 
a he Gospel ot Another Chance... ss... Wee 248 
Wastefulnessel sMeanness toy! 5 ST aa ag 249 
herent Cost ofsPride i ky aes 4slul, Wome es he temas 250 
Bisrd Pac ion hathers: grass aati ema ne aha s ae si 
Do. oun Work: Cheertullyat yoga: cy cae ok otk MOA: 252 
mareevAspects of One Lifet yo .u te bce ee ee Ge 6 RY 253 
hes eracticalzlest, of Orthodoxy 40a’ o) wciee 254 
Efficient Foes of Intemperance ... 9/2 }2) 29.0. 2 Das 
besliberal Visioni rcs e ve. fes\ 5 ene oot, We a ey 256 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 
Horce, a, .emporaty, protection .)) cit eee ac7 
‘beath Wins Its Wayt) ct... cir sey ee 5 ane 
ibhe Aim of Our: Lite. Work |i 2h a. ete ee 259 
sewo Kinds*of Pleasure’Seeking ).°2 yl aay eee 260 
Keep.on!Praying!\..%.) Sadat eee ne ee 261 
Which Way Are: We: Moving? (9.205) 0). 262 
God's ‘Prathfulness 0s"). oo! Soe ea 264 
Evidences of Christianity)... > ye se eae 265 
Heresy ‘Trials (205: 5 |. cetghyel hs #46 siacrpee nee 266 
Follow Fame) “niente 's. sa ieee 267 
How} Broad) is\Your!Reéehgion? Cassine.s git ole 269 
‘The Door to Happiness "0.0... ya dsoneve tes Gee 270 
Don’t'Make'a PetiefyY our Anger ’..¥...... (a (24) eee 7s 
AY Dity ofthe enlightened «0. sis genes le ees an 272, 
bbe lnwarenesssOts val aes cluin cue enn nD PRAM 273 
Labor Sanctitied We. % 0. 02 Vai Lacan 274 
Majoritiesnot/Intallible. (500%, 1 oe 275 
Bad Old Weayweg og) hee oa Ok ee 276 
Silly Streaks an\WisenVien © viii (i. ance ae 277, 
Godis* Will in) Prayer.) uti ice pontia sae Sinan 278 
Onithe Rositive Side ma. 4.0 lS aane er 279 
A Lasting Mabitation ors). 0. 0) ae eee 280 
Music asia Defense, 4) niu. 2. ay Ee ee 281 
Quio Vadis ies 2 2 We, | ese UN eke eee Oe Se 282 
Human) Membershipyy.. <<.) guava alsa a ae 283 
‘DheSolidarity.of Evilie.@ 5: 20) seen ee a 284 
‘The DivinerPresences i. 3.4)... peel 285 
Knowing‘and Doing |. 0).. 4. ie Wea) ee 286 
How'to Fadejopy. 2 sicak ion ee eullee ceee 287 
Two Pathsansfriendship: =) psic-aatee eee ee 288 
Choose :-Your)Viewpoint: |...) ) on): aoe een eee 289 
A Mistaken Goalies i.) Ve Ue 290 


CONTENTS 


"Phe ddlenessotildols (je. Aiea 8h RE Pe 
fiineeareat. (sitter, ie.) yrs, kee AG A Ake 
Day, wreaming about, Ourselvesuys c.m aie 


Shee hd BNW EEN Gln iA i eae SOE GA tae SS so aa 


ry ered CrOce hdr.) 7.8 Us eee ae eer coe 
dipeouliviust.tave Its: Day. fio: oes yeas; 
The Commandment with Promise ...... 
PO eSCO RN ie TL ML Wace, Eh mae ices NS Ween 
ACETING ATL AIT es ae Meg Re te tees 
PSOCial PIODNYVLACLICy et oer ee Cele eds 
Guidance Better-than Regulation 2. 99". Sy: 
Wares HOI ET Ina Value eh eee ee eter Alt c 


PIeTeRINGWeELunnility ) op Stl OER Tee ae ee 
Parca crouch. the Mire, Wolnntes sats kee as 
As New Guess About Life: 2% sone OS 
Cr uesniinageanestored ). bed RW I8) FIA Seay 
Danone eat ae ee, pl DS, PR RS Nc ey pophe as 


ive (soodt 1 hings. 7.0) aig WCE Nineties ttreh, rd 
Lie OMIEY OL INIATERE NN im eau rset atin yt 
Apoul a nankecivino lave a. Mire (ni. lee aee 
Good Company ae ee Me nes eae Realy cok ver 
Slentebiincs thatopea eal hen educa oe 
Keene tiuman Love Aliver =. us se eae rant 
aithalacdispensa blew. 00s neice ee ten hak a2 
TAPERS OORLINIMOLed ity Per ats ton Ue. tiue iter sige 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 
heisimplicity that Is in Christi.) Ga a eee eee aan 
Menmot Cattle sey i. MI i ae 326 
Forsy oung, Men: fo. 000 2) 00 a a ae 327, 
‘Lhe Honor of/Coyrage = (s0. S7 5. ee 328 
‘The Usefulness of Courage). >.>. 92) uaoun eee ee 330 
‘Lhe, Comfort of Courage .> 5...) ) ae ae eos 
Ehe Prudence of, Courage > (/"._. Gea. bee 333 
Everyday Courage: 775 a.:3-0e Ue tae 334 
The Deep Spring of Courage Jj). 9.92 2 ee 336 
The: Courageof the Timid)™ 5. 3) 4). ee 338 
Individualism and ‘Socialism’... 2 ee 339 
ASThought for’ Christmas. ;"'< |. /tlayk yee 340 
The Commercial View oflifey 2. 2) pee 341 
iG. Please (500 Toma weariness ect cl noe el. ne rr 342 
(sod ‘Desires:to bey Erusteds/7a07 & hs.) ey, ae 344 
‘Che: LittlesPresent $0), san Gane etre en ee 346 
Keeping Christmas '’'5 ai, (a nga) et ae 347 
Christmas Giving and Christmas Living ....... 348 
‘A Christmas: Prayer for the Home) Masha te eee 349 
Every dayiiaith (io? y saci pce Cha ee 350 
Not Against Reason but) Above: ).0\) a. ener 351 
ptrong Believers toes ee eth soit ek 353 
Ai City. of Homes 7'.us Sto gers, Po eae 0 354 
A:TalethatIs Told). 0200 O80 “oe Se sis 


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NEW YEAR’S DAY 
The days of our years.—Psalm go : 10. 


‘There it is—all our years are made up of days; and 
all our days are but little parts of years. 

Time may be only “‘a mental form,” as the philo- 
sopher Kant said long ago (and as our ingenious Mr. 
Einstein has just told us, with the complacency of a 
commercial traveller inventing a new slogan). 

But this mental form has a curious continuity. 

It flows like a river. 

It runs on like a road on which we are all journeying, 
and beside which we set up our milestones to mark 
the distance already traversed. 

For each man it is his own birthday that tells him 
how many years of days he has had. 

For mankind it is New Year’s day, which Charles 
Lamb called “the nativity of our common Adam.” 

Stay a moment at this milestone and think. 

For each of us, how many failures, disappointments, 
losses ! . 

Yet God has pulled us through, and we still have a 
chance to do better. 

For mankind how many false starts, delays, disasters ! 

Yet the race goes on, indomitably hopeful. 

It is a day for repentance, and patience, and courage. 

And good resolutions ? 

Yes, please God! 

For unless we men resolve to be good, the world will 
never be better. 


REMEMBER AND TRUST 


Thou hast been my help, leave me not, neither forsake 
me, O God of my salvation.—Psalm 27 : 9. 


Every grace that God has given to us in the past, 
every touch of his life that has quickened us, every 
assistance of his Spirit that has supported us and given 
us a victory over evil, is a proof and evidence of his 
power. 

Let us remember and trust. 

Was it long ago or was it but yesterday that we came 
to him with that heavy weight of sin, asking for relief 
and found it? 

Come then to-day, with a yet heavier load it may be, 
and prove the same almighty power to deliver from 
sin. 

Was it long ago or was it yesterday that we felt that 
thrill of new life, of consecration, of devotion passing 
through us as we gave ourselves to God? 

Come then, and renewing the gift to-day, feel again 
the same touch of life. 

Was it long ago or was it but yesterday that we 
prayed for strength to perform a certain duty, to bear 
a certain burden, to overcome a certain temptation, 
and received it? 

Do we dream that the Divine force was exhausted 
in answering that one prayer? 

No more than the great river is exhausted by turning 
the wheels of one mill. 

Put it to the proof again with to-day’s duty, to-day’s 
burden, to-day’s temptation. 

Thrust yourself further and deeper into the stream 


4 


of God’s power, and feel it again, as you have felt it 
before, able to do exceeding abundantly. 

Remember and trust. 

“Thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither 
forsake me, O God of my salvation.” 


THE POWER THAT WORKETH IN US 


_ Now unto him that 1s able to do exceeding abundantly, 
* * * according to the power that worketh in us.—Ephe- 
‘glans 3 : 20. 


The great reason why we need to consider God’s 
power is because we are utterly dependent on that 
power for the salvation of our souls. 

Without it there is no peace, no hope, no certainty. 

Unless God is mighty to save, we can never be saved. 

How inaccessible is the standard of holiness revealed 
in the Christian religion ! 

When we hear the searching demands of Christ’s 
Sermon on the Mount, a sense of helplessness sweeps 
over us and our spirit is cast down within us. 

Not even the wise and needful reminder that the 
Christian life is gradual is sufficient to deliver us from 
this sense of weakness. 

It is true that “heaven is not reached at a single 
bound,” that only to-day’s burdens are to be borne 
to-day, that growth in grace is like the blade and the 
ear and the full corn in the ear. 

It helps us to remember this. But it does not quite 
reach the heart of our trouble. 

Look at heaven—a kingdom of unsullied love—is 
not that beyond our power? 

Yes, it is; and yet it is the aim set before us in the 
word of God; and therefore we say that the Bible makes 
salvation the hardest thing in the world, something 
that would be impossible, if it did not at the same time 
make it easy and accessible for every human soul. 

For this is what the Bible does—it reveals that the 
power that worketh in us is God’s power, and that it is 
able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can 
ask or think. 


6 


GOD’S SPIRITUAL POWER 


So have I looked upon thee 1n the sanctuary, to see thy 
power and thy glory.—Psalm 63 : 2. 


The vision of spiritual power, even as we see it in 
the imperfect manifestations of human life, is uplifting. 

The rush of courage along the perilous path of duty 
is finer than the leap of the torrent from the crag. 

Integrity resisting temptation overtops the moun- 
tains in grandeur. 

Love, giving and blessing without stint, has a beauty 
and a potency of which the sunlight is but a faint 
image. 

When we see these things they thrill us with joy; 
they enlarge and enrich our souls. 

And if that is true, how much more satisfying and 
strengthening must it be to behold the spiritual power 
of God? 

For God also is a soul, the Great Soul; the essence 
of his being is not physical but moral; and the secret 
of his strength 1s in his holiness, righteousness, justice, 
goodness, mercy, and love. 

To know something of the force of the great Spirit; 
to see there is no temptation that can even shake the 
strong foundation of his equity, no evil that can finally 
resist the victorious sweep of his holy will, no false- 
hood that can withstand the penetrating flash of his 
truth, nothing that can limit or exhaust the great tide 
of his love; to catch sight of the workings of One who 
is omnipotent against all foes and therefore triumphant 
over the last enemy, death—that is a vision of joy and 
power far beyond all others, and therefore it is to be 
desired and prayed for and sought after with the whole 
heart. 


THE SAVIOUR OF THE FALLEN 


For he said, Surely they are my people, * * * so he 
was their Saviour.—Isaiah 63 : 8. 


There are times when the memories of power ex- 
perienced in the past grow faint and dim, times when it 
seems that all we can see behind us is a long succes- 
sion of failures, and all we can feel now is a pervading 
sense of weakness. 

At such times it is good to consider the mighty things 
God has wrought in and through other lives. 

He has lifted the hands that hung down, and strength- 
ened the feeble knees. 

He has made the evil, good; the sinful, pure; the 
selfish, generous; the base, noble. 

He has made apostles and saints out of men and 
women that the world would have thrown away as 
rubbish—Peter, the impetuous and wayward; Mary 
Magdalen, the defiled; Zaccheus, the worldly; Thomas, 
the despondent; Paul, the persecutor and blasphemer. 

What God could do in the first century, he can do, 
he is doing, to-day. 

What is it that we want? 

Is it faith to conquer doubt? 

There are men and women all around us believing in 
the face of difficulties greater than ours. 

Is it patience under trials? 

There are men and women all around us who are 
bearing trials as heavy as ours without a murmur. 

Is it usefulness ? 

Consider the works that God has wrought through 
the hands of man. 

What can we do? 


Nothing. 
What can God do with us? 
Anything—whatsoever he will. 


THE SECRET OF CONFIDENCE 


I can do all things in him that strengtheneth me.— 
Philippians 4 : 13. 


That is the secret of strength; to know the Divine 
power and to use it. 

The man who does not use it cannot really know it. 

The Christian who says, “I know the power of God, 
and [ am trusting in that to save me, and sustain me, 
and make me useful, and bring me to heaven,” and 
yet makes no real effort to be good or to do good, is 
like a man sitting on the bank of a mighty river, and 
casting chips upon its sweeping tide, and saying: 

‘This river is able to bear me to my journey’s end.” 

What you need to do is to push your boat out into 
the current, and feel its resistless force, and move on- 
ward with it. 

Then you will know the power that now you only 
know about. 

Is there any reason why our lives should be feeble 
and stagnant and worthless? 

Is there any reason why we should not overcome 
temptation and endure trial, and work the works of 
God in the world, and come at last to the height of 
his abode in heaven? 

Only one—that we do not know him who is able to 
do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or 
think, according to the power that worketh in us. 

Lay hold on him by faith and all things are possible. 

Let us clasp the hand of Christ and climb; and as we 
climb he will lift us out of sin, out of selfishness, out 
of weakness, out of death, into holiness, into love, into 
strength, into life, and we shall know the power of his 
resurrection. 

; 10 


THE JOY OF RELIGION 


I will see you again and your heart shall rejoice.— 


John 16: 22. 


Joy is essential to true religion. 

A gloomy religion is far from God. 

A sad gospel 1s a contradiction in terms, like a black 
sun. 

“Behold,” said the angel, “I bring you good tidings 
of great joy, which shall be to all people.” 

That message was simply the news of a great power 
which had appeared in the world for salvation. 

God is light, God is love, God is power; and there- 
fore God is hope. 

Little does he know of true joy who knows not this. 

Falsely does he think of the great resistant force of 
evil, the tremendous difficulties of being good, the vast 
inertia of a world lying in sin, who exults in aught else 
than the knowledge of a Divine power able to over- 
come it all. 

Behind Christianity there is Christ. 

In Christ there is God. 

For he is the brightness of the Father’s glory, and 
the express image of his person. 

And the power that works in him, the power that has 
raised him from the dead and set him at God’s right 
hand in heavenly places, is the power that 1s now sav- 
ing every one that believeth, and reconciling the world 
to God. 

When we know that, despair ceases to exist, and joy 
fills the heart with music. 


II 


THE KIND OF PEOPLE THAT GOD LIKES 


Now these all—Hebrews 11 : 13. 


The desire for God’s approval has sustained martyrs 
at the stake, and comforted prisoners in the dungeon, 
and cheered warriors in the heat of perilous conflict, 
and inspired labourers in every noble cause, and made 
thousands of obscure and nameless heroes in every 
hidden place of earth. 

It is the pillar of light which shines before the jour- 
neying host. 

It is the secret watchword of the army, given not 
to the leaders alone, but flashing like fire through all 
the ranks. 

When that thought descends upon us, it kindles 
our hearts and makes them live. 

What though we miss the applause of men; what 
though friends misunderstand, and foes defame, and 
the great world pass us by? 

There is One that seeth in secret, and followeth the 
soul in its toils and struggles—the great King, whose 
approval is honour, whose love is happiness; to please 
him is success and victory and peace. 

There are a million ways of pleasing God, as many as 
the characters of men, as many as the hues and shades 
of virtue, as many as the conflicts between good and 
evil, as many as the calls to honest labour, as many 
as the opportunities of doing right and being good. 

That is the broad meaning of the eleventh chapter 
of the Hebrews, with its long roll of different achieve- 
ments, with its list of men and women of every age, 
of every quality and condition, slaves and freemen, 
leaders and followers, warriors and statesmen, saints 

12 


and sinners, and silent martyrs, and nameless con- 
querors. 

There are a million ways of pleasing God, but not 
one without faith. 


13 


MEMORY AND HOPE 


They shall utter the memory of thy great goodness.— 
Psaliniged gers. 


There is no present reality for us human beings 
without memory and hope. 

Lose the first, and you are dead. 

Lose the second, and you are buried. 

In Christmas, as truly as in Easter, if we come to it 
in the spirit, there is a power of resurrection. 

Our hopes are rooted in memories, conscious or sub- 
conscious. 

Our memories flower in hopes, clear and definite or 
vaguely luminous. 

We hope to rise from the dead because again and 
again the Divine Spirit within us has raised us from 
the death of despondency and despair. 

Remember the joy that came to you when your first 
child was born. 

Remember also the consolation that came to you 
when your child was taken from you and you were 
given faith to believe that she was not dead but alive. 

Do not deny the evidence of a continuous life in 
memory and hope. 


14 


THE SEVENTH SENSE 
As seeing him who ts invistble—Hebrews 11 : 27. 


We stand in a strange and mysterious universe, with 
certain faculties to help us to a comprehension of it. 

First, we have the five senses, and they tell us how 
things look, and taste, and sound, and smell, and feel. 

Then we have the reasoning powers, and they enable 
us to discover how things are related to each other, 
how causes are followed by effects, how great laws con- 
trol their action and reaction. 

But is there not something beyond this, a depth be- 
low the deep and a height beyond the height? 

Every instinct of our nature assures us that there 
must be. 

The lesson of modern thought is the limitation of 
science and philosophy. 

But outside of this narrow circle lie the truths that 
we most desire and need to know. 

In that unexplored world dwells God. 

Why should we hesitate to confess that we must 
have another and a higher faculty of knowledge? 

The astronomer has keen eyes, but he knows their 
limitation, and he does no discredit to them when he 
uses the telescope to bring near the unseen stars. 

The biologist has quick sight, but he does not dis- 
parage it when he turns to the microscope to search a 
drop of water for its strange, numberless forms of life. 

Reason is excellent and forceful, but beyond its boun- 
daries there is a realm which can only be discerned by 
faith. 

Where science ends, where philosophy pauses, faith 
begins. 


15 


WHAT MANKIND HAS DONE FOR YOU 
Ye were bought with a price —I Corinthians 6 : 20. 


We must come to understand that this race of man 
to which we belong, is bound together by something 
deeper and more vital than subjection to an outward 
law, that there is a vicarious element in human life, 
that no man liveth to himself and no man dieth to him- 
self, that all the efforts and aspirations and toils and 
sufferings of humanity serve us and are for our sake. 

This is true in the plainest and most literal sense. - 

The houses that shelter us, the clothes that cover 
us, the food on our tables, have all been won for us by 
the labour of other hands. 

We have paid for that labour, it is true; but there is 
one thing that we have not paid for, and that is the 
life that has gone into the labour. 

When we realize that every liberty, every privilege, 
every advantage that comes to us as men and women 
has been bought with a price—that the dark, subter- 
ranean lives of those who toil day and night in the 
bowels of the earth, the perils and hardships of those 
who sail to and fro upon the stormy seas, the benumb- 
ing weariness of those who dig and ditch and handle 
dirt, the endless tending of looms and plying of needles 
and carrying of burdens—all this is done and endured 
by our fellowmen, though blindly, for our benefit, and 
accrues to our advantage—when we begin to under- 
stand this, a nobler spirit enters into us, the only spirit 
that can keep our wealth, our freedom, our culture 
from being a curse to us forever, and sinking us into 
the ennut of a selfish hell. 


16 


WHAT CACCHIED COSES 
Ye were bought with a price.—I Corinthians 6 : 20. 


The inward joy and power of our life, in every sphere, 
come from the discovery that its highest obligation 
rests at last upon the law of gratitude. 

In every tie that binds us we are made free and glad 
to serve when we recognize that we have been “bought 
with a price.” 

Here is the family circle. 

You belong to it. 

It has its obligations and responsibilities for you. 

You are subject to your parents. 

They have a right to control you and to demand 
your obedience. 

So far, you are subject to a law, good and necessary, 
but in itself external and formal. 

Presently you come to feel, if you are worth anything 
at all, that this family life has cost something; you 
catch a glimpse of the pangs of anguish, the countless 
and continual draughts on life and love that a mother 
has borne for your sake. 

You think of the cares and self-denials through which 
a father has passed, that you might be protected and 
nurtured and educated. 

You begin to understand that expenditures of the 
very best of life have been made for you. 

And when that truth comes to you it lifts you up 
into the true filial relation—makes you long to be more 
worthy of the sacrifices which have been made for you. 

If they could ever be repaid, they would be a burden 
until you had discharged the debt. 

But just because it is so great that it transcends pay- 
ment, it makes you a willing debtor forever, and binds 
you to a grateful and loving life. 


17 


THE SECRET OF TRUE ‘LIBERTY 


The law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me 
free from the law of sin and of death—Romans 8 : 2. 


That which is obvious and self-evident is frequently 
false and generally superficial. 

It is only by striking down into the hidden depths of 
our nature that we come to those paradoxes in which 
the essence of truth resides. 

“He that findeth his life shall lose it.” 

That is a contradiction in terms, but it is a reality 
in experience. 

“He that is greatest among you shall be your ser- 
vant.” 

That is a falsehood to the sense, but it is a truth to 
the soul. 

“He only is wise who knows himself to be a fool.” 

To a little learning, that seems absurd, but to a pro- 
found philosophy it is the voice of wisdom. 

What is liberty? 

It is the recognition of voluntary allegiance to the 
highest law. 

And what is the highest law? 

It is the law of gratitude and love. 

Who, then, is free? 

He who sees and feels the obligations which call him 
to serve the highest and the best. 

The noblest, richest, fullest, purest life is that which 
has the deepest and strongest sense of indebtedness 
resting upon it always, and impelling it forward along 
the line of duty, which is also the line of joy. 

So, then, true liberty is the highest kind of bondage. 


18 


THE HIGHER LAW 


The law of the Lord 1s perfect, converting the soul.— 
Psalmve19: 7: 


The true uplifting and emancipation of our life 
comes through the recognition of the higher ties and 
relationships which bind us. 

The progress and elevation of the soul is a process 
of discovering, not that it is independent and master- 
less, but that the lower laws and conditions under 
which it lives are subordinate to the higher laws, and 
that its bondage in a certain sphere becomes trans- 
formed into liberty when it is lifted up into a higher 
sphere, where both he that serveth and he that 1s 
served are subject unto a supreme sovereignty which 
is above all. 

That is what I understand by the reign of law—not 
the domination of one rule alone upon all that is, but 
the reign of law over law, the higher above the lower, 
and the highest of all supreme; so that those who rise 
to that last and topmost height, where God forever 
dwells and is what he commands, are sharers in his 
liberty and dominion. 

They become the sons of God, not because they 
have cast off and renounced their obligations, but be- 
cause they have recognized them step by step, sphere 
by sphere, until at last they come with glad submission 
into unity and harmony with that which is sovereign 
and ultimate. 

And that, if the Bible is true, is nothing else than 
Perfect Love. 


19 


THE GROWING CHILD 


And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit.— 
Luke 1 : 80. 


The child, coming into existence, not by its own 
choice and will, but out of life behind it, becomes aware 
first of its physical being. 

It takes its place among the creatures that breathe 
and eat and sleep, and adapts itself spontaneously to 
the laws of that existence. 

A physical life has begun which will be continually 
dependent upon obedience to those laws. 

But presently another life begins to dawn within the 
first life. 

The child becomes conscious of powers of observa- 
tion, of comparison, of thought. 

It becomes an animal who thinks, and thus is sub- 
ject to the higher law of reason; and it is only by fol- 
lowing that law that the child is really lifted upward 
and grows intelligent and free. 

And then comes the opening of another world—the 
spiritual world—a disclosure so secret and vital that 
we cannot describe the order or manner of it. 

But we know the three channels through which it 
comes—the affections, the conscience, and the religious 
feeling. 

And we know the signs and marks of it. 

We can tell when the child begins to feel the ties of 
love and duty which bind it to humankind, the laws of 
right and wrong which are different from and superior 
to all other laws, the sense of awe and dependence and 
responsibility which is the evidence of God unseen. 

We know also that the growth of that child into lib- 

20 


erty and nobility will depend upon the recognition of 
these invisible things, and the allegiance to them. 

It will rise, it will become a free and beautiful soul, 
only as it lives in love and duty and worship. 


21 


BOUND YET FREE 


. He that was called in the Lord being a bondservant, 1s 
the Lord’s freedman.—I Corinthians 7 : 22. 


How shall you make free a slave bound by law to the 
service of a human master? 

Suppose you bring into his mind the great truth 
that he belongs to God just as completely as his mas- 
ter does, and that, even under the hard conditions of 
his life, it is his duty, his privilege, his glory, to serve 
God by honesty and fidelity and diligence. 

Now indeed you have liberated his soul; and if the 
liberation of his body comes, as it must come, it will 
find him already a free man and fit for liberty, because 
he has caught sight of the true meaning of fraternity 
and equality. 

It was thus that Christianity advanced upon the 
world. 

Entering the Roman Empire at a time when it in- 
cluded perhaps a hundred and twenty million people, 
and sixty million of them slaves, it proclaimed no in- 
surrection, it created no anarchy. 

It taught the Fatherhood of God and Brotherhood 
of Man, not merely as a doctrine, but as a law of life 
binding all who believed in it. 

It said in plain words, by the mouth of Paul and all 
his fellow servants of Christianity: 

“Art thou called, being a slave? Care not for it; 
but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather. 

“For he that is called in the Lord being a slave, is 
the Lord’s freedman; likewise also he that is called 
being free is Christ’s slave.” 

And so the Gospel carries written upon its very face 
the great truth that the only real deliverance from a 


22 


lower bondage lies in the recognition of a higher obli- 
gation. 

Men are made free by discerning their noblest alle- 
giance. 


23 


BELONGING 


God, whose I am, and whom I serve.—Acts 27 : 23. 


The sense of ‘‘belonging”’ is essential to our happi- 
ness. 

We are’ never without this sense, and therefore we 
do not realize its importance. 

But let us try for once to strip it away from us and 
then perhaps we may feel what it means. 

You remember the story of ‘““The Man Without a 
Country”? 

Endeavor now to construct in imagination the figure 
of a man without a world, without a fellowman, with- 
out a God. 

Does not the mere contemplation of such a con- 
dition as that throw us back forcibly, almost violently, 
upon the truth that the joy of our life is a dependent 
joy, and that we can only come into true and happy 
possession of ourselves when we realize that we belong 
to something greater than ourselves? 

As living beings we are part of a universe of life. 

As intelligent beings we are in connection with a 
great circle of conscious intelligences. 

As spiritual beings we have our place in a moral 
world controlled and governed by the Supreme Spirit. 

In each of these spheres there is a law, a duty, an 
obligation, a responsibility for us. 

Our happiness lies in the discovery and acknowledg- 
ment of those ties which fit us and bind us to take our 
place, to play our part, to do our work, to live our life, 
where we belong. 


24 


THE GREAT RANSOM - 


Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all.—I 
Timothy 2 : 6. 


Man will never grow beyond the need of the ransom 
paid for him by Jesus Christ. 

For all other ways of finding peace with God, of 
making sure that he loves us, of entering into the sense 
of forgiveness and fellowship with him, are vain and 
futile compared with the Divine sacrifice. 

Peace through the cross only, is true for us as it was 
for Paul. 

Man will never grow beyond the power of that great 
ransom to test and judge his soul, to reveal the thoughts 
of his heart, to prove whether he will be saved or lost. 

For here is the solemn mystery of it all, that, though 
this price was paid for every man, yet every man Is free 
to accept or to reject the gift, to acknowledge or deny 
the obligation. 

And those who do not feel its preciousness and its 
binding power, those who count the blood of the cov- 
enant wherewith they were redeemed a common thing, 
and deny the Lord that bought them, are beyond the 
reach of any ransom. 

God himself is to them as ‘‘a stranger and as a man 
astonished, a mighty man that cannot save.” 


25 


WHAT JESUS HAS DONE FOR US SINNERS 


While we were yet sinners Christ died for us —Romans 
sWdtet 


A great deal of our religious thought and teaching is 
turned to the example of Christ as the model and pat- 
tern of true manhood. 

And we rejoice in this, because it is a high and noble 
doctrine. 

But let us not forget that if it stands alone it is par- 
tial and incomplete. 

The force of an example, however lofty, has its limits. 

The life of Christ as an ideal falls short of the power 
to save us and uplift us unless it is also a ransom, a 
life freely given and sacrificed for us. 

If he were our example only, his very elevation above 
us, the purity and splendour of his character, the per- 
fection of his moral triumph compared with our feeble 
and sinful lives, would discourage and cast us down. 

As well ask a common man to show the genius of a 
Dante or a Shakespeare, to exercise the power of a 
Czsar or a Charlemagne, as to live the life of Chris- 
tianity with nothing but an example to guide and bind 
him. 

But because that life is something more, because it 
is given and sacrificed for us, it becomes a vital and 
spiritual power, it lays hold of us at the very centre 
of our being. 

While it covers our sins and shortcomings, it awakens 
our noblest longings and desires. 

It sets us free to follow it, and to follow it to success. 


26 


IGNORANCE OF THE FUTURE 


Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow.— 
James 4:14. 


All faith recognizes that life is a pilgrimage whose 
course and duration cannot be foreseen. 

That is true, indeed, whether we acknowledge it or not. 

Even if a man should fancy that his existence was 
secure, and that he could direct his own career and 
predict his own future, experience would teach him 
his mistake. 

But the point is that faith recognizes this uncer- 
tainty of life at the outset, and in a peculiar way, which 
transforms it from a curse into a blessing and makes it 
possible for us even to be glad that we must “go out 
not knowing whither we go.” 

For what is it that faith does with these lives of ours? 

It just takes them up out of our weak, trembling, 
uncertain control and puts them into the hands of 
God. 

Unless we believe that God has made us and made 
us for himself, unless we believe that he has something 
for each one of us to do and to be, unless we believe 
that he knows what our life’s way should be and has 
marked it out for us, how is it possible for us to go 
forward with cheerful confidence? 

But if we do believe this, then of course we shall be 
willing to accept our own ignorance of the future; and, 
so far from hindering our advance, it will encourage 
and strengthen us to remember that the meaning of 
our life is so large that we cannot understand it. 

It will not fit into our broken and imperfect knowl- 
edge, just because it does fit perfectly into the great 
wisdom of God. 


27 


THE FAITH OF ADVENTURERS 


Get thee out of thy land, and from thy kindred, and come 
into the land which I shall show thee.—Acts 7 : 3. 


The power which has moved adventurers is faith. 

They have believed in something unseen, something 
that other men have not believed in, and they have set 
forth to seek it. 

A new continent across the ocean, a new passage 
from sea to sea, a new land among the forests, a goal 
beyond sight and beyond knowledge, apprehended and 
realized by a heroic faith, has drawn them over stormy 
seas and inhospitable deserts. 

They have believed and therefore adventured. 

Nor has their faith been ones for the most part, 
in a spiritual element. 

There is hardly one of them—not one, I think, among 
the very greatest of the world’s explorers—who has 
not believed in God, and in his overruling Providence, 
and in his call to them to undertake their adventures. 

It is beautiful to see how this religious element has 
entered into the exploration of the earth, and how 
faith has asserted itself in the most famous and glori- 
ous journeys of men. 

We see Columbus planting the standard of the cross 
on the lonely beach of San Salvador; Balboa kneeling 
silent on the cliff from which he first caught sight of 
the Pacific; Livingstone praying in his tent in the heart 
of Africa. 

From all the best and the bravest adventurers we 
hear the confession that they are the servants of a Di- 
vine Being, summoned and sent by him to a work for 
which they would give him the glory. 


28 


THE FATHER OF THE FAITHFUL 


They that are of faith are blessed with the faithful 
Abraham.—Galatians 3 : 9. 


Abraham believed. 

He lived in an idolatrous country. 

Every one about him, even his own father and his 
family, worshipped idols. 

But Abraham’s soul pierced through all these false- 
hoods and delusions to find and clasp the one living 
and true God who is a Spirit. 

Abraham believed. 

He was surrounded by the unrighteousness that a 
corrupt religion always sanctions and intensifies. 

The pollutions and cruelties of heathen life touched 
him on every side, and must have left their stain upon 
him. 

He himself was far from righteous. 

There were flaws in his character, blots upon his 
conduct. 

But one thing he did not do. 

He did not carve an idol out of his own sin and call 
it a God. 

He believed in a God who was not lower but higher 
than himself—a God of purity, of holiness, of truth, of 
mercy; and that faith, having in itself the power to 
uplift and purify, was counted to him for righteousness 
—yes, it was better than any outward conformity to a 
code of morality, just as religion is better than ethics 
because it has the promise of growth and enlargement 
and an endless life. 


29 


NOT KNOWING BUT BELIEVING 


He went out, not knowing whither he went—Hebrews 
11:8 


Abraham believed. 

He was bound by the ties of the world, of habit, of 
social order, of self-interest—by all those delicate and 
innumerable threads which seem to fasten a man to 
the ground, as the Lilliputians fastened Gulliver, and 
make liberty of thought, of belief, of conduct impos- 
sible. 

But in the midst of his bondage Abraham heard the 
voice of the God who had a message, a mission, a call 
for his soul—a message which meant spiritual freedom, 
a mission which could only be fulfilled by obedience, a 
call which said: 

“‘Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, 
and from thy father’s house, unto the land that I will 
show thee.”’ 

Think what that involved—separation from the past, 
resignation of all his customs and plans of life, the en- 
trance upon an untrodden path, the following of an 
unseen and absolute guidance, the consecration of his 
life to a journey through strange lands, among strange 
people, toward a strange goal—the final and supreme 
adventure of his soul. 

But Abraham obeyed the call. 

“He went out, not knowing whither he went.” 


And that was faith. 


30 


CHANCES AND CHANGES 


Thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.— 
Proverbs 27 : I. 


No one can tell beforehand just how many hardships 
he must pass through, just how many sacrifices he must 
make, just how many assaults of evil he must resist, if 
he sets out to walk with God. 

God does not show us exactly what it will cost to 
obey him. 

He asks us only to give what he calls for from day 
to day. 

Here is one sacrifice right in front of us that we must 
make now in order to serve God,—some evil habit to 
be given up, some lust of the flesh to be crucified and 
slain; and that is our trial for to-day. 

But to-morrow that trial may be changed from a 
hardship into a blessing; it may become a joy and tri- 
umph to us; and another trial, new, unforeseen, may 
meet us in the way. 

Now, perhaps, it is poverty that you have to endure, » 
fighting with its temptations to envy and discontent, 
and general rebellion against the order of the world; 
ten years hence, it may be wealth that will test you 
with its temptations to pride, and luxury, and general 
arrogance toward your fellowmen. 

Now, it may be some selfish indulgence that you 
have to resign; to-morrow, it may be some one whom 
you love, from whom you must consent to part at the 
call of God. 

To-day, it may be your ease, your comfort, that you 
must sacrifice for the sake of doing good in the world; 
to-morrow, it may be your activity, the work you de- 
light in, that you must give up while sickness lays 


31 


‘6 


its heavy hand upon you, and bids you “stand and 
wait.” 

To-day one thing, to-morrow another thing; and 
God does not tell you what it will be: he calls you to 


go out into your adventure not knowing whither you 
go. 


32 


THE UNEXPECTED TRIAL 


But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed.—Luke 
TO 13: 


The Samaritan who rode down from Jerusalem to 
Jericho had nothing to do in the morning but follow 
that highway, and take care that his beast did not 
stumble or hurt itself, or get tired out so that it could 
not finish the journey. 

He was just a “‘solitary horseman,” and all that he 
needed to do was to have a good seat in the saddle and 
a light hand on the bit. 

But at noon, when he came to the place where that 
unknown victim of the “hold-up” gang lay senseless 
and bleeding beside the road—then, in a moment, the 
Samaritan’s duty changed, and God called him to be 
a rescuer, a nurse, a helper of the wounded. 

Read the lives of the heroes of faith, and you will 
find that they are all like this. 

They set out to perform, not one task only, but any- 
thing that God may command. 

They accept Christ’s commission, and set sail upon 
an unknown ocean with sealed orders. 

That takes courage. 

Dieistarrisk. 

But for the spiritual, as truly as for the temporal, life 
the rule is, “‘ Nothing venture, nothing win.” 

And is it not infinitely nobler and more inspiring to 
enter upon a career which runs so close to God that he 
can speak into it and fill it with new duties at any mo- 
ment than to make a contract to do a certain thing for 
a certain price, as if God were a manufacturer and we 
were his mill hands? 


33 


It seems to me that this is the very proof and bond 
of friendship with God, this calling of faith to an un- 
defined obedience. 


34 


SOLOMON’S MISTAKE 


Give me now wisdom and knowledge.—2 Chronicles 
Tato. 


These words were spoken by Solomon, the greatest, 
wisest, and in some respects the meanest of the He- 
brew kings. 

Wisdom is more than riches or fame, because it is 
the foundation of both. 

An understanding heart, the ability to discriminate 
between the good and the bad among men and causes 
and enterprises, is certainly a valuable possession for 
every man, especially for one who is called to rule over 
his fellows. 

But there was something better for which Solomon 
might have asked, and which, if he had received it, 
would have brought down the blessing of God not only 
upon his reign, but upon his own soul forever. 

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a 
right spirit within me.” 

This was David’s prayer, the highest and the best. 

Not first an understanding heart, but first a clean 
heart, cleansed by the Divine pardon from the stains 
of guilt, and freed by the Divine power from the de- 
filement of sin. 

This is the noblest choice. 

Wisdom is good, but holiness is as far above wisdom 
as Christ is above Socrates. 

If Solomon had only been wise enough to choose 
this, if he had only felt his greatest weakness and his 
deepest need, and asked for a pure and holy heart, 
how rich beyond expression would have been the results 
of his vision! 


35 


KNOWLEDGE AND HAPPINESS 


In much wisdom is much grief, and he that increaseth 
knowledge increaseth sorrow.—Ecclesiastes 1 : 18. 


Why did Solomon have all that he desired, and yet 
remain unhappy? 

The answer is simple and straightforward—because 
he never forgot or lost himself. 

He tried to be happy. 

That was the chief end and aim of his life, his own 
success, his own felicity. 

In a high and grand and royal way he sought for 
happiness. 

The delight of knowing and unde standing all things, 
the joy of feeling that in him more wisdom was cen- 
tred than in all men before, the pride of the most 
splendid temple and the most prosperous kingdom and 
the most beneficent reign—thus he sought his happi- 
ness and thus he never found it. 

For it 1s a law of God that they who wii] be happy 
never shall be; never shall clasp the phantom after 
which they run so eagerly, never shall feel the deep 
calm of a contented soul, never shall rest in perfect 
peace, until they cease their mad chase, forget and 
deny themselves, and are lost and absorbed in some 
noble and unselfish pursuit. 

“He that loseth his life shall find it.” 

The words of the Master, who was wiser than Solo- 
mon, are true now as then. 

We cannot have happiness until we forget to seek 
for it. 

We cannot find peace until we enter the path of self- 
sacrificing usefulness. 

We cannot be delivered from this 


36 


“vain expense of 


passions that forever ebb and flow,” this wretched, tor- 
turing, unsatisfied, unsatisfying self, until we come to 
Jesus and give our lives to him to be absorbed as his 
life was in loving obedience to God and loving service 
to our fellowmen. 


oh 


THE IMPULSIVE PETER 


So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he 
girt his coat about him and cast himself into the sea.— 


John 21 : 7. 


The Apostle Peter seems to have been almost more 
human than the others, and so more liable to error. 

There is no possibility of taking him for a mythical 
character, a demigod, or a legendary hero. He is too 
much like ourselves. 

Peter is so full of human nature that, whenever he 
is excited or agitated, it seems to overflow, and some 
word or deed comes out, which would be almost child- 
ish in its impulsiveness, if it were not for the virile force 
of the great strong heart behind it. 

The consequence of this is, that he is more often in 
trouble, more frequently rebuked and corrected, than 
any other of the disciples. 

And yet we love the Apostle Peter. 

The very impetuosity which so often led him into a 
false position was a quality which, under proper dis- 
cipline and restraint, fitted him to become the chief 
of the apostles, and the leader of the aggressive work 
of the church. 

There was one thing of which you could be always 
sure with Peter—he never would profess to love you 
while at heart he was indifferent or hostile to you. 

He never would put his arm over your shoulder and 
call you “dear brother,”? while he was secretly en- 
deavoring to get hold of your money, or circulating 
vague reports to discredit your reputation or under- 
mine your influence. 

You could rely on seeing the worst and the best of 
Peter at once. 


38 


He had not much tact, but his stock of candour was 
large. 

And it seems to me that in all his errors, with one 
possible exception, there was a root of true and noble 
feeling. 


on 


ARE THE DEAD NEAR US? 


And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses; and 
they were talking with Jesus.—Mark 9 : 4. 


These two greatest of the Old Testament saints ap- 
peared with Jesus, and “spake of his decease which he 
should accomplish at Jerusalem.” 

Surely we cannot fail to see the purpose of this mar- 
vellous event. 

It was to uplift and cheer the soul of Jesus with the 
thought of the glory into which he should return by 
the sorrowful way of the cross. 

They bent from heaven to follow with loving, won- 
dering eyes his steadfast journeyings toward the cross; 
and when they were permitted to speak with him, they 
talked of that great, world-redeeming death from which 
his flesh shrank, but for which his divine heart was 
ready and longing. 

There is a strange suggestiveness in this conversa- 
tion. 

Who can tell how much the blessed dead know of 
our lives here upon earth! 

It may be that they are following our paths even 
now with wise and tender eyes. 

It may be that your own faithful mother, the father 
who prayed with you at the family altar, the friend 
who walked close beside you in the journey of life, is 
looking down upon you and watching your path to- 
day. 

And of this be sure—if you are following in the foot- 
steps of Christ, if you are trying to do good, these are 
the things which they understand, and for which they 
bless and love you. 

You may be misunderstood, you may be misrepre- 


40 


sented by your friends on earth; but with everything 
that is good, with all noble suffering, there is perfect 
sympathy among your friends in heaven. 


4I 


RELIGION NOT AN OPIATE 


Pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father 1s 
this, to visit the fatherless and widows 1n thetr affliction and 
to keep oneself unspotted from the world.—James I : 27. 


There are two kinds of religion in the world—the re- 
ligion that is heavy with self, and the religion that is 
strong with love. 

There are some people who mix opium with their 
Christianity. 

It soothes and charms them; it gives them pleasant 
dreams and emotions; it lifts them above the world in 
joyous reveries. 

They would fain prolong them and dwell in them, 
and enjoy anunearned felicity. Their favourite hymn is: 


“My willing soul would stay 
In such a frame as this, 
And sit and sing herself away 
To everlasting bliss.” 


But no one ever got to everlasting bliss by that 
method. 

The world has small need of a religion that consists 
solely or chiefly of emotions and raptures. 

But the religion that follows Jesus Christ, alike when 
he goes up into the high mountain to pray and when 
he comes down into the dark valley to work; the re- 
ligion that listens to him, alike when he tells us of the 
peace and joy of the Father’s house and when he calls 
us to feed his lambs; the religion that is willing to suffer 
as well as to enjoy, to labour as well as to triumph; the 
religion that has a soul to worship God, and a heart to 
love man, and a hand to help in every good cause—is 
pure and undefiled. 


ECSTASY AND DUTY 


Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be 
here, and let us make three tabernacles.—Luke 9 : 33. 


How often we have longed to escape from the tur- 
moil and temptation of this evil world and dwell in 
some calm and lofty region of religious ecstasy, holding 
unbroken communion with God ! 

This is the feeling that has often withdrawn the pur- 
est men and women from their duties in the working 
world to spend their lives in sweet contemplation amid 
the quietude of convents and monasteries. 

I suppose Bunyan’s Pilgrim would gladly have 
stayed in the House Beautiful. 

I suppose he hated to go down from the Delectable 
Mountains. 

But he had to go. 

The only way to the heavenly city led through the 
rough valley and over the weary plain. 

There is no gate into heaven except at the end of 
the path of duty. 

There is not even an honoured and peaceful grave 
for us until we can say with the Master: 

“TI have glorified thee on the earth, I have finished 
the work thou gavest me to do.” 


43 


THE MOUNTAIN PEAKS AND THE VALLEY 
ROAD 


Suffer hardship with me as a good soldier of Christ 
Jesus.—II Timothy 2 : 3. 


Remember that in this world every mountain top of 
privilege is girdled by the vales of lowly duty. 

Remember that the transfiguration of the soul is but 
the preparation and encouragement for the sacrifice of 
the life. 

Remember that we are not to tarry in the transitory 
radiance of Mount Hermon, but to press on to the en- 
during glory of Mount Zion, and that we can only ar- 
rive at the final and blessed resting place by the way 
of Mount Calvary. 

Remember Peter’s words in the full experience of the 
school of Christ. 

For the spirit of Jesus was in him, and taught him 
what to say, when he wrote at the close of his life: 

“Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery 
trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing 
happened unto you. 

“But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s 
sufferings, that when his glory shall be revealed ye may 
be glad also with exceeding joy.” 


44 


THE FRIEND OF OUR SOULS 
No man careth for my soul_—Psalm 142 : 4. 


Caught up in the whirl of cosmic processes, swept 
along in the turmoil of international affairs, a mere con- 
scious atom in the grip of the tornado, this is what you 
sometimes say to yourself: 

““No man careth for my soul!” 

And this is what I want to say to-day to you, (and 
to myself too): 

Jesus of Nazareth careth. 

He lived in an age as turbulent as ours. 

Great world movements were storming around him 
in that first century of the Christian era. 

Powers and principalities were in conflict. 

No man knew what was coming. 

Yet to every one who drew near to him, the humblest, 
the most sinful, the most perplexed, Jesus gave a lov- 
ing care as serene and perfect as if the world had been 
absolutely calm. 

Will he not do the same, through the spirit, for every 
one who comes to him now? 

This is what draws me to Christianity. 

It cares first of all for our souls—not in the mass, 
but personally. 


45 


WHAT GOD REQUIRES 


He hath showed thee, O man, what 1s good; and what 
doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love 
kindness, and to walk humbly with thy God?—Micah 
6:8. 


Let the men who climb into the seat of theological 
judgment and talk at great length about what other 
men shall be required to believe, take a little lesson 
from the prophet Micah. 

Compared with complicated creeds the old prophet’s 
inspired summary of what God required from man is 
clear as crystal, simple as sunlight, and sweet as water 
from a mountain spring. 

Square dealing, kind feeling, and reverent thought— 
these are the fundamentals of religion. 

This is not the maximum, of course; for the divine 
instruction and guidance may lead a man on to new vi- 
sions of truth and qualities of virtue. 

But this is the irreducible minimum. 

Without square dealing, kind feeling, and reverent 
thought no man can have God’s favor or peace in 
his own heart. 

But are these things easy because they are simple? 

T think not. 

Often the simple things are the hardest, because 
they leave no room for deception. 


46 


VOX POPULI 


Pilate saith unto them, What then shall I do unto Jesus 
who 1s called Christ?—Matthew 27 : 22. 


Pilate put it to the vote of the people, and so Jesus 
was crucified by a referendum. 

One curious thing about this was that it took place 
under an absolute government, the Roman Empire. 

This shows that autocrats are afraid of rousing the 
people’s wrath, and will often sacrifice principle rather 
than risk losing power. 

Another curious thing was that in the referendum it 
was not really the people who spoke, but the chief 
priests and the elders, who had previously persuaded 
the multitudes to demand the release of Barabbas and 
the death of Jesus. 

The vox populi was the voice of the plotters and poli- 
ticlans. 

But the people did not know it. 

They thought they were voting, but they were only 
recording. 

Another curious thing was that Pilate imagined he 
could get rid of his responsibility for protecting an in- 
nocent prisoner by washing his own hands and saying 
to the people, See ye to it! 

This shows that a governor may be a fool as well 
as a coward. 

And the last curious thing was that the people an- 
swered, All right, we are not afraid, we'll take the blame. 

This shows—what ? 

Jesus explained it when he cried from the cross: 

“Father forgive them; for they know not what they 
do.” 


47 


ABOUT LINCOLN’S BIRTHDAY. 
I 


By men of understanding and knowledge the state shall 
be prolonged.—Proverbs 28 : 2. 


The name and fame of Abraham Lincoln have risen 
slowly but surely in the estimation of his own coun- 
try and of all the nations of mankind. 

The emphasis that was at first laid upon his humble 
birth, his early poverty, his lack of schooling, his hard- 
ships and handicaps, gave a false impression of his real 
character and for a time obscured the greatness of the 
man. 

He was not an uneducated man. 

By reading he brought himself in touch with the best 
of literature, especially the Bible. 

By close contact and observation he learned to under- 
stand the thoughts and feelings of his fellowmen. 

By self-discipline he obtained a superb mastery of 
his own mind and could use his powers of intuition 
and of reasoning with marvellous effect. 

That is education. 

He began as a rail splitter. 

He ended as a man who could split the tough barriers 
of political sophistry and cut the Gordian knot which 
bound our country to disunion and despair. 

The name and title of “‘a common man” would 
have pleased him. 

But remember, he was a common man with an un- 
common soul. 

By that inward light and by obedience to God, he 
steered the ship to victory. 


48 


ABOUT LINCOLN’S BIRTHDAY. 
II 


Then were the people of Israel divided into two parts. 
—I Kings 16: 21. 


Lincoln’s main purpose in life was to preserve the 
federal Union of the people of these United States. 

He held to this because he believed that God had a 
great destiny for the united Republic. 

On minor questions of policy he was so willing to 
compromise that his own followers blamed him. 

But on the vital question of disunion he would never 
compromise. 

In that cause, he would oppose force with force. 

When the civil war was ended he refused even to 
consider the question whether the seceding States 
were in the Union or out of it. 

He called that question “a merely pernicious abstrac- 
tion.” (Last Public Address, April 11, 1865.) 

His one desire and policy was the restoration of the 
proper practical relations between these States and the 
Union. 

His death by the hand of an insane assassin delayed, 
obscured and bungled that policy. 

But in the end it has triumphed. 

Lincoln’s idea of a comprehensive Union is vindi- 
cated. 

Politicians, and theologians, put that in your pipe 
and smoke it. You will find it a true pipe of peace. 


49 


ABOUT LINCOLN’S BIRTHDAY. 
IiI 


And the work of righteousness shall be peace.—Isaiah 
Benes 


The day has passed. Shall not its influence and its 
lesson stay with us? 

Lincoln was a very plain man. He never studied 
the “‘Book of Etiquette,” nor cared at all about those 
silly little things which are called “social blunders.” 

Yet he had the supreme good manners which come 
from a kind heart. 

He made everybody, except the pretentious and arro- 
gant, feel at home with him. 

Read his letter to Mrs. Bixby, five of whose sons 
had died on the field of battle in defense of the Union. 

It is a fine example of sympathy and courtesy. 

Lincoln was an earnest reformer and progressive. 

Yet he was no fanatic or puritanic censor. 

Remember his humorous remark about the brand 
of whiskey that General Grant used. 

Remember that he never called slavery a sin, but 
only an evil and a danger. P 

He proposed to remove it by the free action of the 
States and compensation to the slave owners. 

This would have cost far less than the war. 

But extremists of both sides rejected his proposal. 

Then Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclama- 
tion. 

Lincoln says to us: 

Manners come from the heart. 

Progress demands patience. 

God’s will is peace on earth. 


50 


PROBATION 


Explain unto us the parable of the tares of the field.— 
Matthew 13 : 36. 


God uses a large impartiality in the gifts of Nature 
to teach us that this world is not a place of judgment, 
but a place of probation, in which the good and the 
evil are working side by side, not only in the same com- 
munity but in the same character, and not to be finally 
separated until they have produced their fixed and 
final results. 

We call some men pure and noble. 

We call others base and wicked. 

But we do not say of any living human being, “That is 
a lost, hopeless sinner, with nothing but evil in him.” 

We dare not say it, for God himself does not say it. 

We look into our own hearts and we are puzzled. 

The strange mingling flow of impulses and emotions 
and desires, the undercurrent of half-conscious motives 
and the after play of repentance and regret—making 
the colour of our actions change with the changing 
light—all this troubles and confuses us. 

We cry in all sincerity, “I cannot understand myself. 
There is something here that I cannot judge.” 

And from the shining sun and the falling rain comes 
the clear, patient voice of God: 

“Neither do I judge thee yet. Not yet is thy trial 
ended. Thou mayest be sunken deep in evil, but thou 
still hast hope, for behold I spare thee still, I do not 
judge thee yet.” 

If this world is only a place of probation, then be- 
yond it there must be a place of judgment. 

Surely in the world to come, the just God must 
make compensation. 


51 


Dishonesty, and cruelty, and selfish lust will receive 
their punishment at the end. 

Nor shall those who have waited patiently and lived 
purely fail of their reward. 


co 


OF ONE BLOOD 


And he made of one blood all nations of men for to 
dwell together on the face of the earth.—Acts 17 : 26. 


Surely the proof of the Fatherhood of God ought to 
deepen in our hearts the sense of the Brotherhood of man. 

When we see him providing with equal hands for 
all men, causing the grass to spring and the flowers to 
bloom and the stars to shine for the whole world, 
surely we ought to feel more profoundly and more 
tenderly the ties which bind together all those whom 
God hath made of one blood to dwell together on the 
face of the earth. 

Our artificial life, the life which seems inseparable 
from the advance of civilization and the growth of 
large cities, tends to deepen and exaggerate what we 
call “class distinctions.” 

It keeps men far apart from each other, creates mis- 
understanding and distrust. 

Too often it awakens evil passions of pride and con- 
tempt among the rich, to be met by the equally evil 
passions of envy and hatred among the poor. 

When we feel these influences stealing over us, then 
it is well for us to 


“Go forth into the light of things; 
Let Nature be our teacher.” 


See how God’s great sun laughs at our pride, shining 
with equal radiance upon the cottage and upon the 
palace, and painting for the eyes of all richer pictures 
than the wealth of Crcesus can buy. 

See how all things that God has made tell us of an 
impartial Father’s love which ought to waken in our 
hearts a brother’s kindness for our fellowmen. 


53 


THE STRONGEST SERMON IN THE WORLD 


He went up into the mountain; and when he had sat 
down, his disciples came unto him; and he opened his 
mouth and taught them.—Matthew 5 : 1-2. 


What do you think is the most powerful and help- 
ful discourse ever made on earth? 

Is it not the Sermon on the Mount? 

Has any other done as much good? 

Does any other go down as deep into the springs of 
life ? 

See how clearly Jesus tells us that our real enemies 
and dangers are not outside of us but within us. 

Victory over evil is to be won not by outward strife, 
but by conquering the enemy in our own hearts. 

That will bring the needed strength and purity and 
wisdom and love, in which alone we can overcome evil. 

Nothing can harm us if this Spirit abides in us. 

See how clearly Jesus tells us that each man’s happi- 
ness depends upon the inward life. 

External things do not control it. 

Reproach and persecution may even be blessings to 
those who do not deserve them, but who suffer because 
they are honestly trying to be good. 

Hear these words of Jesus with the outward ear 
only, and you are building on the sand. 

Hear them with the inward ear and do them, and 
you are building on the Rock of Ages. 


54 


GOD SETS US AN EXAMPLE 


Forgiving each other even as God also in Christ forgave 
you.—Ephesians 4 : 32. 


God bestows all the beauty and all the loveliness of 
the world upon sinners such as we are. 

Even though we have disobeyed him and rebelled 
against him, his hand still feeds us. 

Even though our hearts are filled with vileness, his 
pure-eyed stars look down on us in tenderness and com- 
passion. 

Even though we should wander far away and forget 
him, and steep ourselves in wickedness, his sun would 
still shine, his rain would still fall for us. 

Look up, thou prodigal child, lost to thyself and to 
thy home, sunken in vice and full of inward misery, 
thou art not lost to thy father. 

For lo! with every morning above thine evil and 
unhappy head, 

“God makes himself an awful rose of dawn.” 

And even as his light follows and caresses thee 
wherever thou mayest roam, so his love is close to thee, 
and his mercy waiting to welcome thee, if thou wilt 
but turn to him. 

When we see God forgiving those who have sinned 
against him, sparing them in his mercy and showering 
his bounty alike upon the evil and the good, let us take 
the gracious lesson of forgiveness to our hearts. 

Why should we hate like the Devil when we may 
forgive like God? 

Why should we cherish malice, envy, and all unchar- 
itableness in our breasts ? 

I know that some people use us despitefully and 
show themselves our enemies. 


55 


But why should we fill our hearts with their bitter- 
ness and inflame our wounds with their poison ? 

This world is too sweet and fair to darken it with 
the clouds of anger. 

This life is too short to waste it in bearing that 
heaviest of all burdens, a grudge. 

Forgive and forget if you can; but forgive anyway; 
and pray heartily and kindly for all men, for thus only 
shall we be the children of our Father. 


56 


MYSTERY IN RELIGION 


\ 
; 
i . . . . 
J We speak God’s wisdom in a mystery.—I Corinthians 
2:7. 


A religion that professed to reveal and explain every- 
thing, and to make the moral order of the universe and 
the nature and plans of God as plain to our compre- 
hension as a map of the United States—a religion that 
contained no mystery, would be quite as incredible as 
a religion that was all mystery. 

We find insoluble problems and_ undiscoverable 
secrets in nature, and we expect to find them in the- 
ology. 

There is something hidden even in the least and 
lowest form of life, why not also in the highest and 
greatest! 

Do you remember Tennyson’s poem of ‘The 
Flower’? 


“Flower in the crannied wall, 
IT pluck you out of the crannies, 
I hold you here, root and all, in my hand, 
Little flower—but if I could understand 
What you are, root and all, and all in all, 
I should know what God and man is.” 


But that is precisely what we cannot attain. 

Anything that a telescope could discover among the 
stars, anything that logic could define and explain and 
fit into an exact philosophical system, would not be God. 

For it belongs to his very essence that he transcends 
our thought, and that his judgments are unsearchable 
and his ways past finding out. 

We do not know anything about God unless we know 
that we cannot know him perfectly. 


oye 


LOANS GOOD AND BAD 


The wicked borroweth and payeth not again.—Psalm 
ele? Rod &: 


America is the happy hunting ground of borrowers; 
but since we cannot lend to all who ask, we must exer- 
cise discretion in our lending. 

I speak not of past debts incurred by the associate 
nations with whom we were engaged in a war in de- 
fense of justice and liberty. 

There we face “‘not a theory but a condition.” The 
facts and aims which brought us into the alliance must 
be considered. Our high purpose to promote the free- 
dom and peace of the world must be continued. 

I speak now only of futureloans and private donations. 

Shall not the same purpose which we honestly de- 
clared then guide us now? 

Shall we lend our money for the preparation of an- 
other war, for the oppression of helpless and unwilling 
minorities, for the propagation of international hatreds 
and social violence? 

Not unless we wish to justify the remark of the Ger- 
man Attaché who called us “‘those idiotic Yankees.” 

But when we hear the voice of misery and despair, 
when the suffering of the little children comes to us, 
shall we stop our ears and hold our hand? 

Shall we stay to ask whether these sufferers are in 
Germany or Russia or Greece or Palestine or Japan? 

Not if America is Christian as well as great. 

Let us be generous but not asinine. 

America is glad to clothe the naked and feed the 
starving. 

But to advance money to impenitent brigands is 
not charity. 

It is insanity. 


58 


gnu dv FORBEARANCE 
Forbearing one another in love—Ephesians 4 : 2. 


We ought to see in God’s forbearance to judge men 
a lesson of forbearance to one another. 

We are too quick; not often too quick to approve, 
but very often too quick to condemn. 

We think it confers a sort of dignity and virtue to 
say of other men and women that they are bad. 

We are in haste to don the judicial ermine and put 
on the black cap and pronounce sentence. 

We foster evil reports, and repeat gossip, and de- 
vour our fellows like cannibals. 

Who art thou that judgest another? 

Remember Christ’s words to his own disciples: 

“Judge not, that ye be not judged.” 

How can we read the hidden motives, how can we 
know the deep repentance and regret that enter into 
the lives about us? 

Beware of censoriousness. This world of impartial 
sunlight and equal falling rain is not the place of judg- 
ment. 

And, thank God, you and I are not, either here or 
hereafter, the final judges. 

My heart would shrink in speechless terror from 
deciding the destiny of a single human soul. 

That belongs to God; and to God not now, but when 
the shadows of time have vanished in the light of eter- 
nity. 


by 


ABOUT WASHINGTON’S BIRTHDAY 


I 


One that ruleth over men righteously, that ruleth 1n the 
fear of God, he shall be as the light of the morning when the 
sun riseth, a morning without clouds.—II Samuel 23 : 3-4. 


If Washington had not liberated the American Re- 
public, Lincoln would have had no Union to save. 

Comparisons of character and rank between the two 
men are absurd. 

Their circumstances, gifts, and tasks were too differ- 
ent to be compared. 

But in one thing they were profoundly alike,—ab- 
solute devotion to their country, unselfish willingness 
to risk all and give all in her service. 

Washington was a rich man for those days. 

But he used his wealth for the public benefit, serving 
as commander-in-chief without pay, advancing thou- 
sands of dollars to his struggling country, and coming 
close to bankruptcy for her sake. 

Property thus used is not “theft;”’ it is consecration. 

Washington was a reserved man, dignified in manner 
and speech, except when provoked to wrath. 

But he was neither cold nor solitary. 

His soldiers adored him. 

All kinds of brave and true men were dear to him,— 
Franklin in his fur cap, Putnam in his old felt hat, 
Witherspoon in his preacher’s gown, Morgan in his 
leather leggings, and John Adams in his lace ruffles— 
Washington dressed well when he could, but what he 
cared for was not clothes, but the man who wore them. 

Washington was a magnanimous man. 

He had enviers, revilers, enemies. 


60 


When they endangered the country, he smote them 
hard. 

When they merely slandered him, he forgave them 
and let them go. 

His great aim was to unite all who loved America in 
defense of her liberty and then to bind them all to- 
gether in a more perfect and lasting union. 

He was the one man without whom this could not 
have been done. 

His was the master hand that God used to make our 
country. 


6r 


ABOUT WASHINGTON’S BIRTHDAY 
II 
And to let the oppressed go free.—Isaiah 58 : 6. 


It is now. the fashion among writers who would 
rather be original than tell the truth, to say that Wash- 
ington was not a real American but a transplanted 
Britisher. 

I doubt if he looked so at Trenton, or Princeton, or 
Monmouth, or Yorktown. 

What is real Americanism, and where does it reside? 

Not on the tongue, nor in the costume, nor among 
the transient social forms, refined or rough, which 
mottle the surface of life. 

The log cabin has no monopoly of it, nor is it a fixture 
of the stately mansion. 

Its home is not on the frontier nor in the crowded 
city. 

Its dwelling is in the heart. 

It speaks a score of dialects, but one language. 

And this is what it says: 

God has given to man the inalienable rights of life, 
liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. 

The best government is that which best protects 
these rights and restrains people from trampling on 
one another. 

The best way to secure such a government is to trust 
the common sense of the people to choose wise and 
honest leaders and governors. 

The right to save is equivalent to the right to earn, 
and the end of freedom is fair play for all. 

It is the duty of the United States as a new republic, 
first to grow strong and firm, next to use that strength 


62 


for the benefit of mankind, and all the time to set an 
example of justice, benevolence and fair dealing to all 
nations. 

Religion and morality are the firmest supports of 
national peace and welfare. 

That is real Americanism. 


That is the faith which Washington proved by his 
lofty and victorious life. 


63 


THE THINGS THAT ARE ABOVE 


Seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated on 
the right hand of God.—Colossians 3 : 1. 


What does it mean to seek those things that are 
above? 

Where is it that Christ sitteth on the right hand of 
God? 

Surely not in some distant region, invisible and in- 
accessible to mortals. 

To read the law of the risen life thus would be to 
rob it of its meaning and its power for the present 
moment. 

God is not secluded in some far-off heaven. 

He is dwelling and working in this very world where 
we live. 

His “right hand” is manifest in all his works of 
wisdom and righteousness and goodness and love. 

Christ sitteth on the right hand of his Father be- 
cause he is exalted to share in all these glorious works, 
because he is the Mediator between the divine and 
the human, because his spirit brings men into har- 
mony with God and inspires the pure and holy thoughts, 
the just and noble deeds, the generous and blessed 
affections that lift the world. 

He is not far away from us. 

He is with us always, even unto the end of the world. 

He sitteth close beside us, breaketh bread at our 
tables, walketh with us in the city streets and among 
the green fields and beside the sea. 

The “‘things that are above” are the things that be- 
long to him and to his kingdom, the spiritual reali- 
ties of a noble life, whatsoever things are pure and 
lovely and of good report. 


64 


These are the things that we are to seek. 

We are to distinguish between the perishing and the 
imperishable. 

We are to choose in every action between the higher 
and the lower end. 

We are to cling to that which is fine and generous 
and true, and cut loose from that which is coarse and 
selfish and false. 

We are to turn away from that which drags us down- 
ward and makes us like the beasts, and follow after 
that which draws us upward toward the likeness of 


Christ. 


65 


COLLEGE STUDENTS 
Is thy counsellor perished 2—Micah 4 : 9. 


Men of privilege without power are waste material. 

Men of enlightenment without influence are the 
poorest kind»of rubbish. 

Men of intellectual and moral and religious culture, 
who are not active forces for good in society, are not 
worth what it costs to produce and keep them. 

If they pass for Christians they are guilty of obtain- 
ing respect under false pretenses. 

College students are men of privilege. 

It costs ten times as much, in labor and care and 
money, to bring you out where you are to-day as it 
costs to educate the average man, and a hundred times 
as much as it costs to raise a boy without any educa- 
tion. 

This fact brings you face to face with a question: 

Are you going to be worth your salt? 

You have had mental training and plenty of instruc- 
tion in various branches of learning. You ought to 
be full of intelligence. 

You have had moral discipline, and the influences of 
good example have been steadily brought to bear upon 
you. You ought to be full of principle. 

You have had religious advantages and abundant 
inducements to choose the better es You ought to 
be full of faith. 

What are you going to do with your intelligence, 
your principle, your faith? 

It is your duty to make active use of them for the 
seasoning, the cleansing, the saving of the world. 

Do not be sponges. 

Be the salt of the earth. 


66 


GOD’S GOODNESS AND GLORY 
I beseech thee, show me thy glory —Exodus 33 : 18. 


In regard to God himself, it seems to me that in the 
Scriptures his character is revealed and his essence is 
secret. 

His moral attributes are made known to us so that 
we cannot mistake them. 

He is just and holy, merciful and compassionate, 
bountiful and loving, and he discloses these qualities 
so fully in his self-revelation in Jesus Christ that they 
become clear and distinct and indubitable to us; they 
belong to us and to our children forever. 

We know him as the Father of our spirits, for Jesus 
Christ says: 

“He that hath seen me hath seen the Father.” 

But his metaphysical attributes, the ground and 
mode and form of his existence, are behind the veil. 

Omniscience, Omnipresence, Omnipotence—when 
we speak these words we do not define God, we simply 
name the limits of our thought about him. 

They are lines which run out into infinity; and when 
we try to follow them with our logic, they lead us into 
a region where argument is vain and definition absurd. 

Do you remember what Moses saw in the mount? 

He said unto the Lord: 

“‘T beseech thee show me thy glory.” 

But God answered: 

“TI will make all my goodness pass before thee.” 

Here is the boundary line of knowledge—God’s 
goodness is revealed; but his glory is beyond the hori- 
zon. 


67 


THE SECRET THINGS 


The secret things belong unto the Lord our God.— 
Deuteronomy 29 : 29. 


Modest ignorance is a necessary element of true 
theology. 

Bishop Butler says: 

“The monarchy of the Universe is a dominion un- 
limited in extent and everlasting in duration: the gen- 
eral system of it must therefore be uve beyond our 
comprehension.” 

Richard Hooker says: 

“We know not God as he is, neither can know him. 

“His glory is inexplicable, his greatness above our 
capacity and reach.” 

It is a simple fact that we cannot know all about 
God. 

Natural theology, of course, is limited. Revealed 
theology widens the boundaries of our knowledge, but 
does not abolish them. 

The Bible does not profess to make men omniscient, 
but simply to tell them enough to make them happy 
and good, if they will believe it and live up to it. 

It does indeed lift man above the level of his natural 
ignorance; but even as one who has gained a wider view 
of the world by ascending a lofty mountain still finds 
his sight circumscribed by a new horizon, so those 
who receive the revelations which are contained in 
Holy Scripture still discover a verge beyond which 
their thought cannot pass, and find themselves shut in 
by the secret things which belong unto God. 


68 


JUDGMENT IS GOD’S PROVINCE 


The judgment of God ts according to truth—Romans 
2:2. 


God has declared that he will reward every man ac- 
cording to his works. 

He has made known the riches of his grace, his will- 
ingness to forgive the penitent, and to help the fallen, 
in Jesus Christ. 

And by the same lips he made known his indigna- 
tion against those who will not repent, nor trust in his 
mercy, nor show to others that love which God has 
shown to them. 

Nothing could be more clear and positive than the 
revelation of duty which God makes to each one of us. 

We must forsake our sins and deny ourselves, and 
take up our cross and follow Christ if we would be 
saved. 

But beyond that is the region of secrets. 

When we try to peer into it and explore it with our 
little lamps of reason, when we ask how God will 
deal with the heathen, who have not had our privileges 
and opportunities, when we inquire what is to become 
of this man or that man in the eternal future, we are 
simply going beyond the horizon. 

The very attempt to pronounce final judgment on 
our fellow creatures implies what Butler has well 
called “the infinitely absurd supposition that we know 
the whole of the case.” 

One thing is certain, God will never do injustice to a 
single soul, “but in every nation he that feareth him 
and worketh righteousness is accepted with him.” 

The rest we may leave in silence with God; for judg- 
ment is his province and there we may not intrude. 


69 


ANSWERING FOOLS 


Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also 
be like unto him. 

Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in 
his own conceit.—Proverbs 26 : 4, 5. 

This looks hike contradictory advice. 

But it is really a careful view of both sides of the 
same subject. 

Some letters are so unreasonable, some questions so 
impertinent, some arguments so foolish, and some at- 
tacks so full of blind prejudice, that to answer them 
is to descend to their level. 

Silence is the best reply. 

Christ gives us an example. (Matthew 27 : 12). 

On the other hand, some forms of folly are so vain, 
virulent, and dangerous that they need correction. 

The ignorant and conceited should not be permitted 
to drive automobiles, or to write text books, or to 
claim censorship in church or state. 

A searching inquiry is often the best answer to this 
kind of foolishness. 

Christ gave an example of this when he replied to 
the Pharisees by asking them a question which they 
could not answer. (Mark 11 : 27-33). 

But for us frail and fallible men, in the daily run of 
life, I think it wise to follow the first counsel of Solomon 
oftener than the second. 

To go around the world trying to expose the folly of 
all the complacent foolish people would be a tire- 
some, endless, fruitless task. 

It would not make them wiser, nor us happier. 

Starting out in “The League to Enforce Humility,” 
we might find ourselves high up in “The Self-Satisfied 
Society.” 


79 


THE HORIZON 


Canst thou by searching find out God? Canst thou find 
out the Almighty unto perfection ?—Job 11 : 7. 


When a man sets out to be wise above what is writ- 
ten, he is in a fair way to arrive at folly; and when he 
endeavors to deal with infinite quantities by a finite 
logic, his conclusions are apt to be absurd. 

It is better to know nothing about a subject than to 
know something about it which is not so. 

It is wiser to stand in silent awe before the secret 
things of God than it is to adventure rashly among 
them and discover truths which do not exist. 

The evil genius of religious thought is insatiable 
curiosity, and her handmaid is necessary deduction, 
and her kingdom is a kingdom of logical consistency 
and moral confusion. 

The plague of Christendom has been the passion of 
theology to define what God has not defined, and to 
discover what he has kept secret. 

The Bible reveals the fact of the second coming of 
Christ, but it declares at the same time that the day 
and the hour of his advent are hidden from all men. 

Now here is a horizon distinctly and divinely estab- 
lished, and yet good people have not been able to re- 
strain their curiosity from trying to pass over it. 

In regard to the great essential truths which are 
clearly revealed, there has been substantial unity from 
the beginning. 

But when men have begun to make their inferences 
from these truths, then divisions have appeared. 

“What are these people quarrelling about?” asks 
the plain man. 


71 


They are quarrelling for the most part about the 
things that none of them can understand. 

Being unwilling to let God have any secrets, they are 
unable to let men have any peace. 


72 


GOD’S OMNISCIENCE NOT FATE 


Not willing that any should perish.—II Peter 3 : 9. 
Omniscience is one of the divine attributes. 


It means simply that God’s wisdom is perfect, and 
therefore beyond our comprehension. 

But the inquisitive theological explorer takes this 
word as a raft and pushes out into the unknown. 

Omniscience, according to his definitions, means 
that God foreknows everything from all eternity. 

If he foreknows everything, everything must be 
foreordained. 

If everything is foreordained, then the sin and death 
of every wicked man must be predetermined. 

Therefore, ““by the decree of God, for the manifes- 
tation of his glory, some men and angels are foreor- 
dained unto everlasting death, and these men and 
angels are particularly and unchangeably designed, 
and their number is so certain and definite that it can 
neither be increased nor diminished.” 

Thus the explorer of Omniscience reports his dis- 
covery; and when we turn from his report to the Bible, 
which tells us of “‘God, who 1s not willing that any 
should perish, but that all should come to repentance,” 
we feel that the explorer has gone a long way beyond 
his horizon and has discovered something which’ is 
probably not true. 

The truth is much simpler. 

God foreknows things not as they are not, but as 
they are. 

If they are fixed and certain, he knows them as such. 

If he has made some things dependent on the will 
and choice of man, then God knows that they are thus 
dependent and conditional. 


73 


He sends forth his Son to help men to choose right, 
and to say: ‘“Come unto me, ail ye that labor and are 
heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” 


74 


THE CENTER OF THE MANY-SIDED GOSPEL 
Without me ye can do nothing.—John 15 : 5. 


Nothing is foreign to the gospel. It may enter, it 
must enter, into every region of human thought and 
conduct. 

But it must always be true to itself. 

It may not come as a philosophy, a morality, a 
criticism, but always as glad tidings of the Saviour. 

Some men preach as if Christ had never really lived. 

That is why they fail. 

Whatever subject the preacher touches, he must 
see it and treat it in the light that comes from the 
manger-cradle, the uplifted cross, and the empty 
sepulchre. 

No man in the world to-day has such power as he 
who can make his fellowmen feel that Christ is a real 
and living person. 

It is told of David Hume, the great skeptic, chat he 
once went to listen to the preaching of John Brown of 
Haddington. 

“That is the man for me,” said Hume; “he means 
what he says; he speaks as if Jesus Christ were at his 
elbow.” 

“Without me,” said Christ to his apostles, “ye can 
do nothing.” 


75 


GOD SOVEREIGN AND MAN FREE 


Whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely.— 
Revelation 22 : 17. 


We believe that God is the Ruler of the Universe, 
and that he intends that his will shall be done on earth 
even as it is done in heaven. 

It is his will to judge the obstinate and to have mercy 
upon the penitent; to vanquish the evil and to establish 
the good; to destroy death, and in the fulness of time 
to gather together in one all things in Christ, both 
which are in heaven and which are on earth. 

Nothing could be more certain to those who believe 
in God than this mighty purpose. 

But nothing could be more inscrutable than the man- 
ner of its accomplishment. 

We know that God is sovereign. 

We know also that man is free, for the whole gospel 
is an appeal to his power of choice. 

Both truths are sure and precious. 

But they come together in a line which is the abso- 
lute boundary of our vision, even as the ocean and the 
sky meet, but do not mingle, at the edge of the world. 

That is the horizon. 

Beyond that we cannot see. 


76 


THE WAY TO PROVE OUR CREED 
By works was faith made perfect—James 2 : 22. 


We must live up to what we know. - 

Goodness is the purpose of religion, and its best 
proof. 

Conduct is the end of faith, and its strongest sup- 
port. 

God has revealed himself in Christ in order that we 
may love him and live with him and be like him. 

If we will do this we shall be sure of him, and help 
other men to be sure of him. 

The best evidences of religion are holy and kind and 
useful and godly lives, really moulded and controlled 
by the divine Christ. 

A short creed well believed and honestly applied is 
what we need. 

The world waits, and we must pray and labor, not 
for a more complete and logical theology, but for a 
more real and true and living Christianity. 

The best thing that we can do to help the world to 
believe in a Divine Revelation is simply this: 

Trust in Jesus Christ, love our fellowmen, and follow 
him in the path of daily duty. 


LARGE BLESSINGS OF A BRIEF CREED 
I know him whom I have believed—II Timothy 1 : 12. 


Think of the large blessings of a small theology—a 
religion which shall really belong to us, be a part of us, 
enter into us, abide with us, and not with us only, but 
with our children, forever. 

Not many doctrines, but solid. 

It need not be very wide, but it must be very deep. 

It must go down to the bottom of our hearts and 
dwell there as a living certainty. 

To be sure of God, most wise, most mighty, most 
holy, most loving, our Father in Heaven and earth. 

To be sure of Christ, divine and human, our Brother 
and our Master, the pattern of excellence and the Re- 
deemer from sin, the Saviour of all who trust in him. 

To be sure of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, the 
Guide, the Purifier, given to all who ask for him. 

To be sure of immortality, an endless life in which 
nothing can separate us from the love of God. 

Let us concentrate our faith upon these things. 

If we can get hold of these profound realities, if we 
can gather about them all the forces of reason and 
conscience and experience and testimony to establish 
them forever, if we can rest upon them firmly and stead- 
fastly, feeling that they are ours because they are re- 
vealed, we shall be satisfied. 

For our great need is not to know more about reli- 
gion, but to be more sure of what we know. 


78 


LIMITED KNOWLEDGE 
Now I know 1n part.—I Corinthians 13 : 12. 


The trouble with most of our Confessions of Faith 
and Articles of Religion is that they are too long. 

They contain the systems of doctrine taught in the 
Holy Scriptures; but they contain also a great deal 
more. 

And these additions, inferences, and deductions have 
always been the most costly to attain, the most peril- 
ous to defend, the most difficult to believe, and the 
least profitable to apply. 

The first lesson to be learned by one who would think 
wisely or speak truly of religious questions is to say, 
in regard to the secret things: 

“IT do not know, and I shall not try to guess.” 

The advice which Milton puts into the speech of the 
affable archangel Raphael is prudent, and as good for 
us as it was for Adam: 


Solicit not thy thoughts with matters hid; 
Leave them to God above, him serve and fear: 
Of other creatures, as him pleases best, 
Wherever placed, let him dispose: joy thou 

In what he gives to thee, this paradise, 

And thy fair Eve; Heaven is for thee too high 
To know what passes there. Be lowly wise; 
Think only what concerns thee and thy being; 
Contented that thus far hath been revealed, 
Not of earth only, but of highest Heaven.” 


79 


THE HUNGER FOR TRUTH 


Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you 
free.—John 8 : 32. 


There are questions arising in human nature which 
demand an answer. 

If it is denied we cannot help being disappointed, 
restless, and sad. 

This is the price we have to pay for being conscious, 
rational creatures. 

If we were mere plants or animals, we might go on 
living through our appointed years in complete indif- 
ference to the origin and meaning of our existence. 

But within us, as human beings, there is something 
that cries out and rebels against such a blind life. 

Man is born to ask what things mean. 

John Fiske brought out this fact very clearly in his 
last book, Through Nature to God. 

He shows that “‘in the morning twilight of existence 
the Human Soul vaguely reached forth toward some- 
thing akin to itself, not in the realm of fleeting phe- 
nomena, but in the Eternal Presence beyond.” 

He argues by the analogy of evolution, which always 
presupposes a real relation between the life and the 
environment to which it adjusts itself, that this forth- 
reaching and unfolding of the soul implies the ever- 
lasting reality of religion. 

The argument is good. 

But the point which concerns us now is simply 
this: 

The forth-reaching, questioning soul can never be 
satisfied if it touches only a dead wall in the darkness, 
if its seeking meets with the reply: 

80 


“You do not know, and you never can know, and 
you must not try to know.” 

This is agnosticism. 

It is only another way of spelling unhappiness. 


SI 


CHRISTIANITY TELLS 
I tell you the truth—John 8 : 45. 


Christianity is a revealing religion, a teaching reli- 
gion, a religion which conveys to the inquiring spirit 
certain great and positive solutions of the problems of life. 

It is not silent, nor ambigucus, nor incomprehensible 
in its utterance. 

It replies to our questions with a knowledge which, 
though limited, is definite and sufficient. 

It tells us that this “order of nature, which consti- 
tutes the world’s experience, is only one portion of the 
total universe.” 

That the ruler of both worlds, seen and unseen, is 
God, a Spirit, and the Father of our spirits. 

That he is not distant from us nor indifferent to us, 
but that he has given his Son, Jesus Christ, to be our 
Saviour. 

That his Spirit is ever present with us to help us in 
our conflicts with evil, in our efforts toward goodness. 

That he is making all things work together for good 
to those that love him. 

“The first and the most essential condition of true 
happiness,” writes Professor Carl Hilty, the eminent 
Swiss jurist, “‘is a firm faith in the moral order of the 
world. 

“What is the happy life? 

“It is a life of conscious harmony with this divine 
order of the world, a sense, that is to say, of God’s 
companionship. 

“*And wherein is the profoundest unhappiness ? 

“It is in the sense of the remoteness from God, 
issuing into incurable restlessness of heart, and finally 
into incapacity to make one’s life fruitful or effective.” 

82 


UNITY 


That ye be perfected together in the same mind.—I 
Corinthians I : 10. 


The things that I care for most in the Church to 
which I belong are not those which divide us from other 
Christians, but those which unite us to them. 

The things that I love most in Christianity are those 
which give it power to save and satisfy, to console 
and cheer, to inspire and bless human hearts and lives. 

The thing that I desire most for the Presbyterian 
Church is that it should prove its mission and extend 
‘ts influence in the world by making men happy in the 
knowing and doing of the things which Christ teaches. 

This ought to lead to union with other churches. 

The Church that the Twentieth Century will hear 
most gladly and honor most sincerely will have two 
marks. 

It will be the Church that teaches most clearly and 
strongly the truths that Jesus taught. 

It will be the Church that finds most happiness in 
living the simple life and doing good in the world. 


83 


THE FATHER OF US ALL 
Being then the offspring of God.—Acts 17 : 29. 


In every family there may be children, perhaps not more 
and less beloved, but surely more and less approved. 

There are some that come closer to the father’s 
heart, obedient, generous, affectionate; answering 
every call upon their love; rendering swift, unconscious 
services of help and comfort. 

And there are some that cannot or will not come so 
near; cold, dull, irresponsive; set chiefly upon the fol- 
lowing of their own wills and the pleasing of their own 
desires; and sometimes wilfully wounding and bruising 
the hearts to which they ought to be most closely bound. 

Is it possible that the father should feel alike toward 
both? 

He cannot and does not. 

Even though he does not speak of it, there is a differ- 
ence. 

And yet they are all his children. 

For all of them his heart is tender and his care watch- 
ful. 

And for all of them he will provide with an impartial 
benevolence. 

It is a point of honor with him. 

He will do the best he can for all. 

Even so our Father in Heaven deals with his chil- 
dren on earth. 

In the bounties of nature he shows his kindness to 
humanity. 

In the common grace of his Holy Spirit he is forever 
calling and wooing all men to turn to Him. 

In Christ he offers to all who turn a full and free 
salvation. 


&4 


REJOICE 
Rejoice evermore.—I Thessalonians 5 : 16. 


A revival of simplicity, a revival of sincerity, a re- 
vival of work—this will restore unto us the joy of sal- 
vation. 

And with the joy of salvation will come a renewal 
and expansion of power. 

The inconsistency of Christians is the stronghold of 
unbeltef. 

Why should not men and women who hold the 
Christian faith be glad all the time? 

They know that God holds the world in his care. 

They know that Christ lived and died for them and 
rose again from the dead. 

They know that nothing in life or death can really 
harm them. 

Why, then, go about gloomy and sour, with long 
faces and doleful voices? 

The lack of vital joy in the Church 1s the chief cause 
of indifference 1n the world. 

The feeble energy, the faltering and reluctant spirit, 
the weariness in well doing with which too many be- 
lievers impoverish and sadden their own hearts, make 
other men question the reality and value of religion 
and turn away from it in cool neglect. 


85 


IMMORTALITY AND HAPPINESS 


Set your mind on the things that are above —Colossians 
Bina. 


Take the truth of immortality. 

Let a man live now in the light of the knowledge 
that he is to live forever. 

How it will deepen and strengthen the meaning of 
his existence, lift him above petty cares and ambi- 
tions, and make the things that are worth while pre- 
cious to his heart! 

Let him really set his affections on the spiritual side 
of life, let him endure afflictions patiently because he 
knows that they are but for a moment, let him think 
more of the soul than of the body, let him do good to 
his fellowmen in order to make them sharers of his 
immortal hope, let him purify his love and friendship 
that they may be fit for the heavenly life. 

Surely the man who does these things will be happy. 

It will be with him as with Lazarus, in Robert Brown- 
ing’s poem, ‘‘ The Epistle of Karshish.”’ 


Others will look at him with wonder and say: 
“Whence has the man the balm that brightens all ? 
This grown man eyes the world now like a child.” 


This is the sure result of following out the doctrines 
of Christ in action, of living the truths that he teaches— 
a simple life, a childlike life, a happy life. 


86 


SUPPOSE 


If ye know these things, happy are ye 1f ye do them.— 
John 13 : 17. 


Suppose that a fresh flood of brave, cheerful, joyous 
energy should be poured into all the forms of Chris- 
tian work. 

Suppose that plenty of money should come flowing 
in to send out every missionary that wants to go and 
that plenty of the strongest and best young men should 
dedicate their lives to the ministry of Christ. 

And then suppose that the Christian life, in its daily 
manifestation, should come to be marked and known 
by simplicity and happiness. 

Suppose that instead of loading themselves down on 
life’s journey with so many bags and parcels and 
boxes of superfluous luggage and bric-a-brac that they 
are forced to sit down by the roadside and gasp for 
breath, Christian families should turn to quiet ways, 
lowly pleasures, pure and simple joys. 

Suppose that they should truly find their happiness 
in the knowledge that God loves them and Christ 
died for them and heaven is sure, and so set their 
hearts free to rejoice in life’s common mercies, the 
light of the sun, the blue of the sky, the splendor of 
the sea, the peace of the everlasting hills, the song of 
birds, the sweetness of flowers, the wholesome savor of 
good food, the delights of action and motion, the re- 
freshment of sleep, the charm of music, the blessings 
of human love and friendship. 

Suppose, I say, that such a revival of the joy of liv- 
ing and working should silently sweep over the Church 
in the Twentieth Century. 


87 


What would happen? Great would be the peace of 
her children. 


Greater still would be their power. 


88 


STRONG YOUNG MEN 
Because ye are strong.—I John 2: 14. 


There are many young men who are kept away from 
the Church by a false notion that a Christian has no 
use for bravery and vigor, no scope for the exercise of 
well-trained bodily powers and a bold, fearless spirit. 

But where do we find such a notion of life save in 
the morbid theories of weak fanatics? 

The Christian must indeed keep his body and spirit 
under control, he must not be a mere animal or a reck- 
less bravo; but within those limits he may exercise all 
his daring and skill and strength. 

The Church has need of brave soldiers, strong la- 
borers, dauntless explorers. 

Where would she be now had it not been for the 
bravery and endurance of those first apostles of the 
gospel ? 

Is not the world better and more Christian for the 
bravery of Luther and Livingstone and Havelock and 
Grenfell ? 

“T write unto you young men because you are 
strong.” 

That was a good reason; for Jesus Christ has need 
of strong and brave disciples, to stand up well against 
the assaults of evil, to push through desert and jungle, 
Over mountains and stormy seas with the message of 
the gospel, to endure hardness as good soldiers, to 
fight and not be weary, to run and not faint. 


89 


MISSIONARIES 
Lo, we turn to the Gentiles —Acts 13 : 46. 


I will tell you what the British East India Company 
said at the beginning of the nineteenth century: 

“The sending of Christian missionaries into our 
eastern possessions is the maddest, most expensive, 
most unwarranted project that was ever proposed by 
a lunatic enthusiast.” 

I will tell you what the British Lieutenant-Governor 
of Bengal said at the close of the nineteenth century: 

“In my judgment Christian missionaries have done 
more lasting good to the people of India than all other 
agencies combined.” 

The agency which has justified its existence, done 
its work, and won the approval of its bitterest oppo- 
nents, after that fashion, cannot possibly be foolish, 
feeble, extravagant or dishonest. 

You cannot find any other human enterprise of mod- 
ern times which has been as wisely, as prudently, as 
economically, as honorably conducted as this work of 
Christian missions. 


GOOD SOLDIERS 
A good soldier of Jesus Christ.—II Timothy 2 : 3. 


What the world needs to-day is not a new system of 
ethics. 

It is simply a larger number of people who will make 
a steady effort to live up to the system that they have 
already. 

There is plenty of room for heroism in the plainest 
kind of duty. 

The greatest of all wars has been going on for cen- 
turies. 

It is the ceaseless, glorious conflict against the evil 
that is in the world. 

Every warrior who will enter that age-long battle 
may find a place in the army, and win his spurs, and 
achieve honor, and obtain favor with the great Cap- 
tain of the Host, if he will but do his best to make life 
purer and finer for every one that lives. 

It is one of the burning questions of to-day whether 
university life and training really ft men for taking 
their share in this supreme conflict. 

There is no abstract answer; but every college class 
that graduates is a part of the concrete answer. 

I believe the difference in the results depends very 
much less upon the educational system than it does 
upon the personal quality of the teachers and the men. 

Richard Porson was a university man, and he seemed 
to live chiefly to drink port and read Greek. 

Thomas Guthrie was a university man, and he proved 
that he meant what he said in his verse:— 


**T live for those who love me, 
For those who know me true, 


gI 


For the heaven that bends above me, 
And the good that I can do: 
For the wrongs that need resistance, 
For the cause that lacks assistance, 
For the future in the distance, 
And the good that I can do.” 


g2 


REVOLUTION, OR MORE RELIGION 
Preaching good tidings of peace.—Acts 10 : 36. 


Some people say that a revolution is coming in our 
own age and our own country. 

It is possible. 

There are signs of it. 

There has been a tremendous increase of luxury 
among the rich in the present generation. 

There has been an increase of suffering among the 
poor in certain sections of our country. 

It may be that we are on the eve of a great overturn- 
ing. 

I do not know. J am not a prophet nor the son of a 
prophet. 

But I know that there is one thing that can make a 
revolution needless, one thing that is infinitely better 
than any revolution; and that is a real revival of reli- 
gion—the religion that has already founded the hos- 
pital and the asylum and the free school, the religion 
that has broken the fetters of the slave and lifted 
womanhood out of bondage and degradation, and put 
the arm of its protection around the helplessness and 
innocence of childhood, the religion that proves its 
faith by its works, and links the preaching of the father- 
hood of God to the practice of the brotherhood of man. 

That religion is true Christianity. 


93 


FALSE RELIGION 
The abominations of the heathen.—II Kings 16: 3. 


Some people say, ‘Foreign peoples have their own 
civilizations and religions, and therefore we need not 
trouble ourselves about them.” 

Yes, they have; but that is the very reason why we 
must “‘trouble ourselves about them.” 

Their civilizations are full of degradation, of oppres- 
sion, of cruelty, under which women groan, and child- 
ren perish, and men live like beasts. 

Their religions are often tinctured with sad and 
gloomy superstitions, or embodied in rituals of blood 
and shame. 

Think of the religions of Africa which teach men to 
slay and devour one another; the religions of India 
with their licentious rites and brutal adorations. 

Think of the civilization of China. 

Let your fancy picture those nightly processions 
through the streets of Chinese cities, long files of young 
blind girls decked with garlands for the sacrifice of 
lust; friendless, helpless, homeless; marching each 
with her hands upon the shoulders of the one before 
her; groping their way through an endless midnight to 
shame and suffering and death. 

Tell me, is that kind of civilization a reason why you 
should not “‘trouble yourself about the heathen” ? 


94 


A PURIFYING POWER 
Whatsoever things are pure.—Philippians 4 : 8. 


Where good men are in business, lying and cheating 
and gambling should be more difficult, truth and 
candor and fair dealing should be easier and more 
popular, just because of their presence. 

Where good men are in society, grossness of thought 
and speech ought to stand rebuked, high ideals and 
courtliness and chivalrous actions and “the desire of 
fame and all that makes a man,” ought to seem at 
once more desirable and more attainable to every one 
who comes into contact with them. 

There have been men of this quality in the world. 

It is recorded of Bernardino of Siena, that when he 
came into the room, his gentleness and purity were so 
evident that all that was base and silly in the talk of 
his companions was abashed and fell into silence. 

Artists like Fra Angelico have made their pictures 
like prayers. 

Warriors like the Chevalier Bayard and Sir Philip 
Sidney and Henry Havelock and Chinese Gordon have 
dwelt amid camps and conflicts as Knights of the Holy 
Ghost. 

Philosophers like John Locke and George Berkeley, 
men of science like Newton and Herschel, poets like 
Wordsworth and Tennyson and Browning, have taught 
virtue by their lives as well as wisdom by their works. 

Humanitarians like Howard and Wilberforce and 
Raikes and Charles Brace have given themselves to 
noble causes. 

Every man who will has it in his power to make his 
life count for something positive in the redemption of 
society. 


95 


SPREADING THE LIGHT 
Unto all the nations.—Luke 24 : 47. 


More light is what the world wants. 

And do you think that it will make less light to kindle 
a greater fire? 

Do you suppose that one more Christian in China 
will make one less Christian in America ? 

Do you imagine that one less effort to preach the 
gospel in Africa will mean one more effort to preach the 
gospel in America? 

Do you suppose that one dollar that is given for 
foreign missions will be taken from home missions? 

I tell you, no! 

It will be taken from self-indulgence, from avarice, 
from wordly luxury. 

Peter is not robbed when Paul is supported. 

Demas, the worldling, Simon Magus, the astrologer, 
and Demetrius, the idol-maker, are the only ones that 
suffer. | 

Peter and Paul grow strong together, and the farther 
the one goes abroad, the better the other works at 
home. 

In 1812 a man in the Senate of Massachusetts ob- 
jected to the incorporation of the American Board of 
Foreign Missions on the ground that “the country 
had no religion to spare.” 

If that objection had prevailed I believe by this 
time the country would have had no religion to keep. 


96 


THE APOSTLE JOHN 
Whom Jesus loved.—John 13 : 23. 


Many and beautiful are the traditions of the life of 
the Apostle John in Ephesus. 

It is said that at one time a noble and amiable youth 
was committed by his parents to the guardianship of 
John. 

He was obliged to go away on a long journey and 
left his ward in the care of some of the brethren. 

On his return he was told that the youth had fallen 
into evil ways, had been tempted off into the wilder- 
ness by a band of desperate robbers, and had become 
their leader. 

John was filled with sorrow and self-reproach. 

He went out into the wild country, penetrated to 
the stronghold of the robbers’ band, seized the young 
man by the hand, kissed it and, calling him by his 
familiar name, brought him back to Ephesus. 

Out in the great Church, one Sunday morning, a vast 
congregation is gathered. 

They are waiting for some one. 

A wide sea of faces is turned upward. 

An expectant hush rests over the crowd. 

An old man is borne in by his attendants. 

His long hair and beard are white as snow. 

His eyes shine with a soft and gentle light. 

He lifts a tremulous hand. 

His voice is faint and slow as he speaks. Hark! 

“Little children, love one another!” 

The words fall like a benediction. 

They are the last words of that disciple whom Jesus 
loved. 


26 


THE POWER OF THE CROSS 


God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our 
Lord Jesus Christ—Galatians 6 : 14. 


To-day’s meditation is just a quotation from a won- 
derful old story—‘‘ The Pilgrim’s Progress”: 

“Up this pathway, therefore, did burdened Chris- 
tian run, but not without great difficulty, because of 
the load on his back. 

“He ran thus till he came at a place somewhat as- 
cending; and upon that place stood a Cross, and a 
little below, in the bottom, a sepulchre. 

“So I saw in my dream, that just as Christian came 
up with the Cross, his burden loosed from off his 
shoulders, and fell from off his back, and began to 
tumble, and continued so to do till it came to the 
mouth of the sepulchre, where it fell in, and I saw it 
no more. 

“Then was Christian glad and lightsome.’ 

Now I ask you, what need had this happy Christian 
of a definition of the atonement? 


3 


98 


CONCERNING THE DEAD 
NOTHING BUT GOOD 


Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their 
lives —II Samuel I : 23. 


The old Romans had this proverb: De mortuts nil 
nist bonum. If you cannot speak well of the departed 
say nothing. 

This came to mind as I was reading David’s musical 
lament for Saul and Jonathan. 

How beautifully it leaves unsaid the things which 
are better forgotten ! 

Jonathan, of course, was a great lover, the very 
model of a matchless friend. 

But of Saul the record tells little that was particularly 
“lovely and pleasant,” and a good deal that was quite 
the contrary. 

Toward David, especially, he was often unfair, 
rough, and extremely unpleasant. 

Yet David does not even mention this in his elegy. 

He speaks only of the good, the brave, the generous 
qualities of the departed. 

Why? 

Because Saul was dead and could not answer to de- 
fend himself. 

Because his mistakes and faults belonged to the 
past, and it was less important to fix the blame for 
them than to learn how to correct and avoid them in 
the future. 

To say the best you can of the dead is not only a 
natural instinct but also a Christian wish. 

Biography should not be blind, but it should be 


09 


based and built on the positive good qualities in its 
subject. 

Are there no such elements ? 

Then no biography! 


100 


THE BREADTH OF LOVE 
Being rooted and grounded in love.—Ephesians 3 : 17. 


The love of Christ is the type of all true and noble 
love, because it does not narrow the heart, but expands 
it and makes it overflow with blessed and generous 
feelings. 

Contrast him with the Scribes and Pharisees. 

Their doctrine was “Love thyself well, and give what 
is left over to those who will pay for it.” 

Christ’s doctrine is “Love thy neighbor as thyself, 
and give freely because thou hast freely received.” 

He would have us love him first and most, because 
he is our Saviour, because he has given himself to us and 
for us. 

But he would have us love every one else better, be- 
cause we love him best. 


“That love for one, from which there doth not spring 
Wide love for all, is but a worthless thing.” 


That is what Lowell wrote in one of his youthful love 
sonnets. Can we not apply it to our religion? 

“He that loveth not his brother, whom he hath seen, 
cannot love God whom he hath not seen.” 


IOI 


POPULAR FOLLY 


The way of a fool is right in his own eyes.—Proverbs 
12ers 


Half the troubles of mankind come from ignorance— 
ignorance which is systematically organized with 
societies for its support and newspapers for its dissemi- 
nation—ignorance which consists less in not knowing 
things than in wilfully ignoring the things that are 
already known. 

There are certain physical diseases which would go 
out of existence in ten years if people would only re- 
member what has been learned. 

There are certain political and social plagues which 
are propagated only in the atmosphere of shallow self- 
confidence and vulgar thoughtlessness. 

There is a yellow fever of literature especially adapted 
and prepared for the spread of shameless curiosity, in- 
correct information, and complacent idiocy among all 
classes of the population. 

Persons who fall under the influence of this pest 
become so triumphantly ignorant that they cannot 
distinguish between news and knowledge. 

They develop a morbid thirst for printed matter, 
and the more they read the less they learn. 

They are fit soil for the bacteria of folly and fanat- 
icism. 


102 


THE FUNCTION OF WISE MEN 
Wisdom is the principal thing.—Proverbs 4 : 7. 


The men of thought, of cultivation, of reason in the 
community ought to be an antidote to dangerous in- 
fluences. 

Having been instructed in the lessons of history and 
science and philosophy, they are bound to contribute 
their knowledge to the service of society. 

As a rule, they are willing enough to do this for pay, 
in the professions of law and medicine and teaching and 
divinity. 

What I plead for is the wider, nobler, unpaid service 
which an educated man renders to society simply by 
being thoughtful and by helping other men to think. 

The college men of a country ought to be its most 
conservative men; that is to say, the men who do most 
to conserve it. 

They ought to be the men whom demagogues can- 
not inflame nor political bosses pervert. 

They ought to bring wild theories to the test of rea- 
son, and withstand rash experiments with obstinate 
prudence. 

When it is proposed, for example, to enrich the na- 
tion by debasing its currency, they should be the men 
who demand time to think whether real wealth can be 
created by artificial legislation. 

And if they succeed in winning time to think, the 
danger will pass—or rather it will be transformed into 
some other danger requiring a new application of the 
salt of intelligence. 

For the fermenting activity of ignorance is incessant, 
and perpetual thoughtfulness is the price of social 
safety. 

103 


PARABLES AND PICTURES 


With many such parables spake he the word unto them. 
—Mark 4 : 33. 


Christ was not fond of definitions. 

He was more poet than logician. 

Christ taught by parables and pictures. 

He came into the world to be the Saviour of men. 

What that meant in all its fulness could not be put 
into any doctrine, any theory, any definition. 

So Christ looked around him in the world of life, 
and whatever he saw that was beautiful and useful and 
precious he claimed and used as a picture of himself. 

“You do not know,” he said to men, “‘you do not 
know what my coming to you really means. 

“You think that I have come merely to teach you 
something, or perhaps to do something for you. 

“No! 

“I have come to be something in your life. 

“All that is best and most needful and most glo- 
rious 1s but a type and symbol of what I am. 

“T am the bread of heaven. 

“T am the water of life. 

“T am the light of the world. 

““T am the true vine. 

“IT am the good shepherd. 

“IT am the lamb of God. 

“IT am the way, the truth, and the life.” 


104 


THE DRAWING POWER OF THE CROSS 


And I, 1f I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all 
men unto myself—John 12 : 32. 


Undoubtedly Jesus said this with reference to his 
death. 

The answer of the people shows that they so under- 
stood him. 

To be “lifted up” was a common expression for 
being crucified. 

As a matter of history, the cross of Christ has been 
the supreme attraction, the drawing power, the best- 
loved symbol of Christianity. 

Yet till Jesus died on it, the cross was only a sign of 
shame and scorn. 

Why this marvellous transformation ? 

It was because of the wonderful beauty and _per- 
fection of the life that found its crown and consumma- 
tion on the cross. 

It was because of the penetrating and unconquer- 
able love for sinners revealed in this sacrifice on the 
cross. 

It was because of the deep certainty that there is 
no deliverance from sin without suffering, and the 
deep gratitude toward the sinless Son of God who 
suffers with and for us on the cross. 

Christianity is admirable as a system of morals, 
lovely as a plan of brotherhood, noble as a conception 
of life. 

But without the cross on which Christ died for sin- 
ners, it is a beautiful lantern unlit, a poem with the 
central word omitted. 

That word 1s: 

The Son of God who loved me and gave himself up for me. 


105 


CREEDS AND RELIGION 


Wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works 
is barren ?—James 2 : 20. 


Far be it from me to say that creeds are useless. 

They are as essential to theology as grammars are 
to literature. 

Nor do I dream that there can ever be a church with- 
out forms of worship. They are as needful as tactics 
are to an army. 

But when we mistake these things for the reality of 
religion, when we rest in them and repose upon them 
as sufficient to insure our personal salvation, then we 
forget to seek the things that are above. 

Inevitably such a religion must become a sensu- 
ous, selfish, sinking religion. 

Far above it shines that blessed state of daily de- 
pendence upon God and intercourse with him, of real 
fellowship with Christ and likeness to him, of constant 
service and sacrifice for our fellowmen, in which alone 
pure and undefiled religion is found. 

That is what we are to seek just because it is above 
us. 

We are not to be satisfied with our poor little ortho- 
doxies or our vain little heresies. 

We are not to make puppets of ourselves in our tiny 
rituals, and content our souls with the singing of psalms. 

We are not to settle down comfortably in the con- 
viction that we are to be saved and raised from the 
dead at the last day. 

We are to look and long and struggle upward, we 
are to rise with Christ now toward the things that are 
above. 


106 


THE OPPORTUNITY OF LIFE 


If there be any virtue, and tf there be any pratse, think 
on these things.—Philippians 4 : 8. 


Men tell us that we must “know the world.” 

Yes, it is true, unless we are to be helpless babies 
all our lives, we must acquire some of this knowledge. 

But never suppose that it consists chiefly of a knowl- 
edge of evil. 

The world is not a pesthouse, nor 1s life a complica- 
tion of diseases. 

The true physiology is a science of health. 

The deepest knowledge of human nature has for its 
guiding light the desire to discover that which is best 
in humanity. 

Study vices less and virtues more. 

Make your contribution to society as a believer in 
pure womanhood and worthy manhood, as an en- 
courager of faith and hope and charity, as a leader and 
helper in the upward path, as a friend of true friendship, 
and a lover of noble love. 

Do not waste your life in analyzing the pollutions of 
the social atmosphere, but bring into it the breath of a 
purer spirit. 


Be a breeze from the mountain height; 
Be a fountain cf pure delight; 

Be a star serene, 

Shining clear and keen 
Through the darkness and dread of the night; 
Be something holy and helpful and bright,— 
Be the best that you can with all your might. 


107 


TWO PATHS 


Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are 
peace.—Proverbs 3 : 17. 


There are two paths in art and literature. 

There is noble music which cleanses the heart like a 
tide from the sea. 

There is mean music that plays upon the strings of 
sensual passion and vulgar mirth, strumming and tink- 
ling a fit accompaniment to the reckless dance of ephem- 
eral souls above the cataract of fatal folly, or beating 
a brutal march for the parade of pride and cruelty to- 
ward the pit of death. 

There are pictures that immortalize the great mo- 
ments of history, the fine aspirations of humanity, the 
fair scenes of nature. 

There are pictures that lavish all the resources of the 
most consummate art to perpetuate the trivial and the 
vile. 

There are dramas that speak of heroism and virtue, 
and purify our hearts with pity, fear, and love. 

There are plays that present life as a coarse and 
tedious farce, or glorify indecency and unfaithfulness. 

There are books which store the memory with beauti-~ 
ful images and gentle pleasures and fine ideals. 

There are books which leave a bad taste in the mind, 
and weaken every fibre of spiritual courage, and 
poison the springs of imagination at the fountainhead. 

It is for us to choose in which of these two paths of 
art we will walk. 

The choice determines our destiny. 


Our intellectual nature is like the chameleon; it 
takes color from that on which it feeds. 


108 


Tell me what music you love, what dramas are your 
favorites, what books you read when you are alone, 
and I will tell you which way you are moving, upward 
or downward. 


109 


FRATERNITY FIRST 


We know that we have passed out of death into life be- 
cause we love the brethren.—I John 3 : 14. 


Faith in Christ rewrites the old motto. 

Not “Liberty, equality, fraternity.” 

But first, fraternity, which lifts men into equality, 
and so fits them for liberty. 

Faith in Christ makes us acknowledge brotherhood 
with all who are trying to cast out devils and heal the 
sick, whether they follow with us or not. 

Faith in Christ says, “‘He that is not against us is for 
Mises 
I have no confidence in that kind of Christianity 
which will not join hands with an honest Hebrew to 
relieve suffering and enlighten ignorance. 

I have no confidence in that kind of Protestantism 
which refuses to take hold of one end of the litter in 
which a wounded man is lying because a Roman Catho- 
lic has hold of the other end. 

I have no confidence in that kind of Presbyterianism 
which lives in hostility and hatred toward Christians 
who have other creeds and forms of worship. 

I have no confidence in that kind of a church which 
resembles a private religious club, caring only for the 
comfort and respectability of its members, unreason- 
ably sure of their own salvation and unreasonably in- 
different to the salvation of the world. 


IIo 


CHRIST IS THE DOOR 


I am the door: by me 1f any man enter in, he shall be 
saved, and shall go in and go out, and shall find pasture. 
—John 10:9. 


The door is the way of entrance into any building or 
structure. It signifies, therefore, the right of admission 
to all that the building stands for. The open door says 
pCome: ine’ 

In the home, the door means access to the inner circle 
of love and joy and peace. 

In the fortress, the door means escape from danger, 
entrance into safety and security. 

In the temple the door means the right of approach 
to the mercy seat of God, the privilege of communion 
with those who worship and serve Him. 

Thus in all ancient religions the doorway was re- 
garded as a sacred place. The threshold of the house 
was the primitive altar, and the threshold covenant 
was one of the earliest forms of religion. 

But the door is not only the way of entrance. It 
is also the way of egress. It leads in and it leads out. 
It is the symbol of liberty as well as the symbol of 
peace. A door through which you can pass only in one 
direction is not a door: it is a trap. 

The dwellers in a human home use the door not only 
to enter into their place of rest, but also to go out to 
their places of work. 

The temple doors invite the worshippers to praise 
God in the sanctuary; but they also remind us of 
the duty and privilege of going out from the holy place 
to serve God in the world. 

Inward and outward—both ways the true door in- 
vites us. Protection and freedom; safety and struggle; 

11 


worship and work; life enfolded in peace, and life en- 
larged in power—this is the twofold significance of 
the door. 

And this is what Christ means when he says to us, 
““T am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall 
be saved, and’shall go in and out, and find pasture.” 


RESURRECTION NOW 
[f ye then be risen with Christ—Colossians 3 : 1. 


Resurrection is a great word. 

It has a power to stir the mind, a charm to quicken 
the imagination, and an attraction to draw the heart. 

What thoughtful person can repeat that sentence of 
the Creed which says of Christ, “the third day He rose 
again from the dead,” and then add that triumphant 
utterance of death-defying faith, “‘I believe in the 
resurrection of the body,’ without a great thrill of 
hope and joy? 

But these two thoughts of resurrection do not ex- 
haust its meaning. 

It is more than a sublime fact in the past. 

It is more than a glorious event in the future. 

It is an experience in the present. 

It is happening to-day. 

At this very moment a new and eternal life is un- 
folding within human souls and transforming human 
bodies in fellowship with Christ. 

At this very moment men and women are passing 
from death unto life, from darkness to light, from the 
perishing to the imperishable, by vital union with the 
spirit of Jesus. 

Here, then, is the great thought which the text 
flashes into our souls. 

There is a Resurrection Now. 

There is a triumph over death for which we do not 
need to wait until the graves are opened. 

We may have it at once. 

There is a victory of life for which we do not need to 
look to some far-distant morning. 

We may feel it to-day. 

113 


LOVE THE PEOPLE IN THE WORLD 
Love not the world.—I John 2 : 15. 


Think how Christ lived in the world. 

How closely he was in touch with all sorts and con- 
ditions of men. 

How he understood the little children and rejoiced 
in their confidence. 

How he took part in all human joys and sorrows, 
from the wedding feast to the funeral. 

How he entered into the trials and conflicts, the per- 
plexities and aspirations, the weariness and the hope, 
of human nature everywhere. 

Whose thoughts did he not read? 

Whose wishes did he not fathom? 

Whose real needs did he not minister unto? 

He draws each one of us in by sympathy with us, 
in order that our hearts may go out in sympathy with 
him. 

Through the lips of that disciple whom he loved 
he says to us, “Love not the world’’—the sensuous 
perishing order of existence which is separate from 
God—‘“neither the things that are in the world.” 

But the people that are in the world—the suffering, 
struggling souls, enslaved by its evil, deceived by its 
follies, starved by its famine; all sorts of people that 
are weary and heavy laden; all sorts of people that are 
climbing upward and lending a hand to others; all 
sorts of people that need God’s love and ours, Jesus 
would have us love, even as he loves us. 


114 


OUR FATHER 


After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father.— 
Matthew 6 : 9. 


Take that one word in which Christ teaches us all to 
call God ‘four Father.” 

No dark prison of doubt can confine us, no forbid- 
ding walls of austere doctrine can shut us in, while we 
have that door by which our souls may go out. 

Who can question a father’s wisdom? 

Who can fathom a father’s love? 

Who can exhaust the resources of a father’s tender- 
ness and care? 

What does fatherhood mean? 

I speak out of the experience of an earthly father- 
hood that has blessed my life. 

It means tenderness, forbearance, watchfulness, 
firmness to counsel and rebuke, pity for my worst, 
sympathy for my best, a golden friendship, an undying 
love. 

If earthly fatherhood means all that, how much 
more does heavenly fatherhood mean! 

We come to Christ with our doubts, and questions, 
and_ perplexities. 

He tells us that the great God, the sovereign Ruler 
of the universe, is our Father. 

Our questions are not all answered, but our way is 
open. 

Doubts may still shadow our path, but they cannot 
stay our steps. 

They are no longer a wall, but a mist, through which 
we press onward toward the light. 


115 


THE TOIL OF LIFE 


Man goeth forth unto his work and to his labor until 
the evening.—Psalm 104 : 23. 


In one aspect, all the varied toil of mankind is only 
the mass of separate efforts by which each individual 
earns daily bread and amasses wealth, little or much. 

He who thinks of it merely in this aspect, drops into 
it as a mechanical routine, plods along in it like a horse 
in a treadmill, now resolutely, now wearily. 

The only possible result of all his toil is what he can 
get out of it for himself. And that is limited by his 
capacity for eating, and drinking, and putting on of 
raiment. 

The sting of actual hunger and thirst and discom- 
fort is a stimulus up to a certain point. But once be- 
yond that point, there is nothing to animate endeavor 
except certain preferences for rich and unwholesome 
food, and for costly and inconvenient clothing instead 
of simple and convenient clothing, and perhaps a 
strange desire to heap up money merely for the sake 
of possession. 

But there is another way of regarding the toil of life. 

It is a divine task laid upon mankind by the Creator 
for the conquest and cultivation of the natural world. 

Human labor is a co-operation for the emancipation 
of mankind from the crushing pressure of physical 
necessities in order that the intellectual and spiritual 
powers of man may be unfolded. 

Toil itself, performed in this spirit, is a discipline 
for the soul, a medicine for sloth and vice, a teacher of 
self-restraint, patience, and courage. 

When we begin to perceive these things we see a new 
meaning in our work, whatever it may be. 


116 


We can put heart into it, and be proud and glad of 
doing it well. 

We can lift it above its conditions by seeking the 
things that are above it. 

We can make it a vocation; a mission; a divine enter- 
prise. 


117, 


VERIFYING THE BIBLE 
The sum of the word is truth —Psalm 119 : 160. 


While the Bible contains a great many things which 
cannot be verified now, as, for example, all its doctrines 
in regard to the future state, it contains also things 
which can be verified. 

Prophecies fulfilled—you remember the great man 
who was asked to name the strongest evidence of the 
truth of Christianity, and who answered in two words, 
“The Jews!’’; records confirmed by external and in- 
dependent testimony from ancient monuments and 
the scrolls of forgotten histories—there are many 
ways in which our confidence in the veracity of the 
Scriptures is strengthened and supported. 

But I think the best way of all is by putting its moral 
and religious precepts to the proof in this present life 
and seeing whether the results which are foretold do 
not begin to follow our actions here and now. 

Let a man take that word of Paul, ‘““He that soweth 
to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he 
that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life 
everlasting,” and try it by this test. 

No law of the harvest could be more certain and un- 
variable. 


118 


THE FOUR GOSPELS 


And there are also many other things which Jesus did, 
the which 1f they should be written every one, I suppose 
that even the world itself could not contain the books that 
should be written—John 21 : 25. 


It seems to me a thing to inspire confidence in the 
gospels that the different writers who give us their 
records of the divine revelation speak so naturally, 
each in his own style and manner, with no effort to imi- 
tate his predecessors. 

If four witnesses should appear before a judge to 
give an account of a certain event or a series of events, 
and each one should tell exactly the same story in the 
same words, the judge would probably conclude, not 
that their testimony was exceptionally valuable, but 
that they had agreed to tell the same story. 

But if each man told what he had seen, as he had seen 
it, then the evidence would be credible. 

And when we read the four gospels, is not that ex- 
actly what we find? 

Four men telling the same story, each in his own way, 
and behind these four men we know not how many 
of those who had seen the Lord and companied with 
him and remembered what he had said and done. 

Some saw what others did not see, and some heard 
what others did not hear. 

Their differences of narrative are proofs of their sin- 
cerity. 

False witnesses would have agreed beforehand. 

The discrepancies of the Scriptures are difficulties 
in one sense, but in another and a higher sense they are - 
supports. 


119 


THE POWER OF CHRIST’S RESURRECTION 


That I may know him, and the power of his resurrec- 
tion.—Philippians 3 : Io. 


Remember that the life of Jesus Christ is a real hu- 
man life, lived im the same flesh and blood, under the 
same conditions and limitations as ours, made human 
in order that it might be like ours. 

Remember that the strength of it is not physical but 
spiritual, the same Spirit of God dwelling in Jesus whom 
God promises to give to all that ask him. 

Remember that its triumph over falsehood and temp- 
tation and sin and death is one triumph, and that the 
resurrection is but the final working of the same power 
which worked all through the holy life of Jesus, so that 
he conquered the grave with the same might with which 
he overcame evil. 

Remember that this life is given to us, and for us, so 
that we may belong to it, as the branches belong to 
the vine, as the members belong to the body. 

Remember that Christ says, ““Without me ye can 
do nothing, but lo! I am with you alway, even unto 
the end of the world. He that believeth on me, the 
works that I do shall he do also. Where I am, there 
shall ye be also.” 

Remember these things, and you will understand 
what Paul means by knowing the power of his resur- 
rection. 

It is to know that the greatest spiritual power in the 
universe is ready to enter and work in us, and that he 
who raised up Jesus from the dead shall quicken our 
mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in us. 


I20 


ANTIDOTE TO DESPONDENCY 


Help, O Lord, for the godly man ceaseth; for the fatth- 
ful fail from among the children of men.—Psalm 12 : 1. 


Every now and then, there comes a time when the 
crooked twist in human nature is exposed, and when 
the men whom we have trusted fail us. 

More important than any political disclosures, or 
any governmental theories, is the faith in a righteous 
God and in the final triumph of his will. 

What difference does it make when a man in whom 
you have trusted fails and goes wrong? 

What difference does it make when a party to which 
you have adhered shows that it has abandoned the 
principles for which you joined it? 

God has not abandoned the cause of righteousness. 

And in the long run, if you join with him, by his 
help you shall win the victory. 


I2I 


SALT 
Ye are the salt of the earth—Matthew 5 : 13. 


This figure of speech is plain and pungent. 

Salt is savory, purifying, preservative. 

It is one of those superfluities which the great French 
wit defined as “‘things that are very necessary.” 

From the very beginning of human history, men 
have set a high value upon it and sought for it in caves 
and by the seashore. 

The nation that had a good supply of it was counted 
rich. 

A bag of salt, among the barbarous tribes, was worth 
more than a man. 

The Jews prized it especially because they lived in a 
warm climate where food was difficult to keep, and 
because their religion laid particular emphasis on 
cleanliness, and because salt was largely used in their 
sacrifices. 

Christ chose an image which was familiar when he 
said to his disciples: 

“Ye are the salt of the earth.” 

This was his conception of their mission, their in- 
fluence. 

They were to cleanse and sweeten the world in 
which they lived, to keep it from decay, to give a new 
and more wholesome flavor to human existence. 

Their character was not to be passive, but active. 

The sphere of its action was to be this present life. 

There is no use in saving salt for heaven. 

It will not be needed there. 

Its mission is to permeate, season, and purify things 
on earth. 


122 


THE INFLUENCE OF GOOD MEN 
Salt therefore is good.—Luke 14 : 34. 


Men who live an orderly life are in great danger 
of doing nothing else. 

We wrap our virtue up in little bags of respectability 
and keep it in the storehouse of a safe reputation. 

But if it is genuine virtue it is worthy of a better 
use than that. 

It is fit, nay it is designed, to be used as salt, for the 
purifying of human life. 

There are multitudes of our fellowmen whose ex- 
istence is dark, confused, and bitter. 

Some of them are groaning under the burden of 
want; partly because of their own idleness or incapac- 
ity, no doubt, but partly also because of the rapacity, 
greed, and injustice of other men. 

Some of them are tortured in bondage to vice; partly 
by their own false choice, no doubt, but partly also for 
want of guidance and good counsel and human sym- 
pathy. 

Every great city contains centers of moral decay 
which an honest man cannot think of without horror, 
pity, and dread. 

The trouble is that many honest folk dislike these 
emotions so much that they shut their eyes and walk 
through the world with their heads in the air, breath- 
ing a little atmosphere of their own, and congratulat- 
ing themselves that the world goes very well now. 

But is it well that the things which eat the heart out 
of manhood and womanhood should go on in all our 
great towns! 


123 


THE GOD OF TRUTH 
His truth is a shield—Psalm 91 : 4. 


Humanity in its lower forms, unenlightened by the 
Divine Spirit, does not necessarily recognize the beauty 
and glory of truth. 

Among barbarous races, lying is not only a general 
habit, it is frequently regarded as a virtue; and even 
among civilized and cultivated races you will find peo- 
ple who can see no disgrace in it except that of being 
found out. | 

Many religions have been invented and believed— 
or at least men have believed that they believed them— 
in which falsehood plays a prominent part in the char- 
acters and actions of the gods. 

Remember, for instance, the masquerades of the 
gods in Greek and Roman mythology, and especially 
the fabled performances of Hermes, who may be 
called the tutelary divinity of liars. 

The Bible, on the contrary, represents the first sin 
as coming out of a belief that God would not really 
keep his word. 

“Ye shall not surely die,” said the evil spirit, and 
Adam believed him. 

And as the first sin came out of the assumption that 
God might lie, so the second consisted in the fact that 
man did lie. 

“The woman tempted me and I did eat.” 

That was the first falsehood of the great harvest 
that was afterward to spring from the idea that God 
could possibly be untrue. 


124 


; THE EVERYMAN GOSPEL 
Preach the gospel to the whole creation Mark 16 : 15. 


First, God made us all. 

We are not the children of chance, the offspring of 
senseless matter and blind force. 

The Great Spirit is the framer of our bodies and the 
Father of our spirits. 

Lift up your hearts. Our bodies come from dust, 
but our souls from God. 

Let us live bravely, not as mere beasts, but as men 
and women, children of God. 

Second, there is something wrong with all of us, 
something which makes it easier to go down than to 
go up, and to indulge our passions rather than to fol- 
low our conscience. 

The Bible tells us, and our hearts know, what that 
evil thing is. 

It is sin, selfishness, which separates us from our 
Father in heaven and from our brother men on earth, 
and makes all the trouble in the world. 

We must escape from it if we want peace and a bet- 
ter life. 

Third, there is only one person who can deliver us, 
Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 

He came from heaven, and lived a sinless life as the 
Son of man, and died upon the cross to save the world 
from sin. He rose from the dead to bring immortality 
to light. He is one with the Father. God is like Christ. 
He is love, forgiveness, mercy, truth. Every one who 

wants to may come to this Saviour. 

If you believe in him, he will give you a new life. 
If you honestly try to obey him in being good and 
125 


doing good, that will be the test and proof of your true 
faith. There is no other. 

You don’t need to swallow a volume of theological 
definitions. Simply come to Jesus, trust him fully, 
follow him honestly, and you shall be saved. 

That is the everyman Gospel. 


A DIVINE IMPOSSIBILITY 
God, that cannot lie.—Titus 1 : 2. 


This verse touches a point in which God differs 
from man. 

For it is a well-known fact that men can lie, and that 
very frequently they do. 

The great poet has described the case very sug- 
gestively in the passage where he makes Hamlet say 
that playing on the recorder is “‘as easy as lying.” 

Successful falsehood, like skilful playing, is an art 
which must be learned by practice. 

But merely saying the thing that is not, is no more 
difficult than blowing into a flute. Any man that has 
breath can tell a plain lie. 

Now the text declares that what is possible with 
man is impossible with God. He cannot lie. And you 
remember, at once, a number of other places in the 
Bible where the same doctrine is taught. 

Your memory will bring up before you those massive 
and solid words, like pillars of granite, in which the 
writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews shows that the 
Christian’s hope cannot be shaken because it rests on 
the divine promise and oath, “two immutable things, 
in which it is impossible for God to lie.”’ 

You will recognize also that the truth is one which 
is spread underneath the whole Bible. 

It resembles a primitive stratum of rock in the earth’s 
crust, which is lifted into sight, here and there, but 
which exists even where it does not appear, and is 
the foundation of all the other strata piled above it, 
and of the deposits which floods and glaciers have left 
upon them, and of the dwellings and temples which 
men have built upon the surface. 

The bed rock is the basis ot all. 


127 


THE DIVINE POWER IS SELF-LIMITED 
It is impossible for God to ie.—Hebrews 6 : 18. 


Let us try to get it very clearly and solidly into our 
minds that there are some things that God cannot do. 

We fall very*often into a false and foolish way of 
reasoning about the divine attributes, which comes 
from trusting a finite logic to deal with infinite quanti- 
ties. 

We argue that because God is infinite and absolute 
there must. be nothing that he does not know and 
nothing that he can not do. 

From the mere statement of a proposition, there- 
fore, it would follow that God knows it, and from the 
mere conception of an action it would follow that he 
can do it. 

But the same logic would lead us inevitably to the 
conclusion that there is nothing that God is not. 

If he is absolutely without bounds or limits of any 
kind, then he is light and darkness, he is good and evil, 
he is the sinner and the saint. 

But the Bible reveals that God is, and that he is a 
real and personal being, and that he has a moral char- 
acter, fixed, immutable and supreme. 

If it seems to us difficult or impossible to make that 
revelation square with our metaphysics, I for one am 
always ready to break with metaphyscis, and stand by 
the Bible, and trust God as he makes himself known to 
my moral nature in these Scriptures and, above all, 
in the person and life of Jesus Christ. 

And here the character is the frst thing, the great 
thing, the dominant thing. 

“He is called omnipotent,” says St. Augustine, ‘in 
doing what he wills, not in suffering what he does not 

128 


will. For if that happened to him he would not be 
omnipotent. Wherefore he cannot do certain things 
because he is omnipotent.” 

Because the truth of God is perfect and supreme in 
all his ways, therefore he cannot lie. 


129 


LIFE MORE ABUNDANTLY 


I came that they may have life and may have it more 
abundantly.—John 10 : 10. 


Refuge and restfulness are not the whole of salva- 
tion. 

To be truly saved, thoroughly saved, means some- 
thing more than coming into security and peace. 

It means also going out to a richer, fuller life, a 
broader, deeper usefulness, a larger joy of noble work. 

Full salvation is active as well as passive. 

It includes deliverance from danger and consecra- 
tion to duty. 

It ransoms the soul from sin in order to set it free 
for service. 

The soul that is saved goes in to God and out to 
life; and everywhere, inward and outward, it finds 
through Christ what it needs—protection to safeguard 
it, rest to refresh it, pasture to strengthen it, work to 
discipline and unfold it. 

“T am come,” says Christ, “not only that they may 
not die, but that they might have life and that they 
might have it more abundantly.” 


PERILOUS LUXURIES 
Ivory, apes, and peacocks.—I Kings 10:22. 


Such strange and useless foreign gear the ships of 
Hiram, king of Tyre, brought with plenty of gold and 
silver to his great friend King Solomon in Jerusalem. 

Man is prone to value things that are rare more 
highly than things that are useful. Luxury has very 
little relation to living. 

Ivory is hardly more durable and certainly less beau- 
tiful than some kinds of wood. 

Apes and peacocks are not particularly agreeable 
companions. 

But with these adornments the palaces of Solomon 
were attractive to the curious, and many strange 
women were drawn by their splendor to enter his house- 
hold. 

With these to the number of a thousand, and with 
peacocks and apes we know not how many, Solomon 
lived magnificently, but less happily, I guess, than 
David in the sheepfold. 

And in the end Solomon’s wisdom declined, and _ his 
heart was turned away from God, and his power was 
destroyed, and his kingdom was divided and ruined. 

He paid too dear for his ivory, apes, and peacocks. 


131 


MOVING DAY 


Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and 
from thy father’s house-—Genesis 12 : I. 


Is not Moving Day marked in all our calendars? 

Is it not a symbol of the unexempt condition of our 
mortal pilgrimage? 

From house to house we move; but that signifies 
little, if we do not overburden ourselves with rubbish. 

From youth to age we move; but that is not fatal if 
we do not overload ourselves with prejudices. 

From opinion to opinion we move; but that is nat- 
ural if we are not forced to do it in haste. 

The man who thinks when old precisely the same on 
all points as he thought when young, is not a conserva- 
tive. He is an obstacle. 

Systems, theories, idolatries, are tee to be left be- 
hind on. Moving Day. 

They will not fit the new house. 

But three things are worth carrying with us on all 
earthly migrations—the Ten Commandments; the 
Golden Rule; and the faithful saying “‘that Christ 
Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” 


132 


CONTAGIOUS GOODNESS 
Overcome evil with good.— Romans 12 : 21. 


Wrestle with a chimney sweep and you will need a 
bath. Throw back the mud that is thrown at you, and 
you will have dirty hands. 

No, the best way to fight against evil is not to meet 
it on its own ground with its own weapons. There is a 
nobler method of warfare. “Overcome evil with good.” 
That is the secret of the battle of life. 

The way to counteract and conquer evil in the world 
is to give our own hearts to the dominion of good, and 
work the works of God while it is day. 

The strongest of all obstacles to the advance of evil 
is a clean and generous man, doing his duty from day 
to day, and winning others, by his cheerful fidelity, 
to serve the same Master. 

Diseases are not the only things that are contagious. 
Courage is contagious. Kindness is contagious. All 
the positive virtues, with red blood in their veins, 
are contagious. 

The heaviest blow that you can strike at the king- 
dom of evil is just to follow the advice which the dy- 
ing Sir Walter Scott gave to his son-in-law Lockhart, 
“Be a good man.” 

And if you want to know how, there is but one per- 
fect and supreme example—the life of Him who not 
only did no evil, but went about doing good. 


133 


HOW TO SPOIL A BOY 


His father had not displeased him at any time in say- 
ing, “Why hast thou done so?”’—I Kings 1 : 6 


‘That was the reason why Adonijah went wrong. 

His father never took him into his confidence, never 
reasoned with him, never asked him to think what he 
was doing and what the consequences might be. 

Therefore, the boy did what he liked and what 
other people did not like. 

Therefore, the young man was no better than a head- 
strong boy, bigger but no wiser. 

Therefore, the pampered prince became a rebel and 
a traitor and died by violence. 

Therefore, his father, King David, having spoiled 
him, had to suffer with him. 

The process of spoiling a child may be very pleasant 
at the time, but in the end the results are very pain- 
ful. The sins of the fathers are visited on the children; 
and then—the sins of the children come back upon the 
fathers. 

If the younger generation is wild and reckless, is 
not the older generation at fault? 

Discipline is as needful to a child as training to a 
colt or pruning to a fruit tree. But with a child the dis- 
cipline must be rooted in reason. 

“Why hast thou done so?” is the first question. 
With that education begins. 

How many fathers and mothers ask it patiently and 
lovingly nowadays? 


134 


SAVING DAYLIGHT BY FOOLING OURSELVES 
The folly of fools 1s decett.—Proverbs 14 : 8. 


To be foolish is an infirmity. 

To fool others is a trick. 

But to fool ourselves seems to be a natural propen- 
sity—you might almost say a necessity of men. 

Take an illustration from that modern device which 
is called “daylight saving.” 

In the summer men would like to begin their work 
an hour earlier in order to finish 1t an hour sooner, 
and have the lovely eventide for rest or play. 

Good! A fine idea! Perfectly simple! 

But it seems that men can not do this simple thing 
without fooling themselves. 

They must set their clocks an hour ahead. 

They must tell themselves that the time is what 
they know it is not. 

They must delude themselves into doing a wise 
thing. 

Meanwhile, the cows and the birds and the stars and 
the tides and the railways run on the real time. 

But men are all mixed up, and miss their engage- 
ments, because they are fooling themselves. 

“Lord,” says Puck, “what fools these mortals be!” 


NERVOUS PROSTRATION CURED 


We were weighed down exceedingly, beyond our power, 
insomuch that we despaired even of life-—II Corinthians 
1:8. 


Here was a severe case of nervous prostration. 

Perhaps St. Paul also had some real illness, for we 
know he was a frail person. 

But what made it dangerous was his despondency. 

He was low in his mind; and so his body could not 
get well. 

What changed the situation was a change of mind. 

He thought of the Divine power which is stronger 
than death. 

He trusted himself to that power—thrust himself 
into that vital current as you might set a mill wheel 
in the rushing flow of a stream. Then the wheel turned 
steadily, and all the wonderful, complicated machin- 
ery of the body began to work again. 

Many people, even saints, go tottering, doddering, 
despairing through the world, while the river of life 
runs full beside them, asking only to be used. 

Use it, beloved. Have as much health as your work 
requires, as much strength as you can safely handle. 

M. Coueé calls this “conscious autosuggestion.” I 
call it healing by contact with God. 

It does not abolish death. But it keeps you living 
fully and gladly until the appointed hour comes, and 
your work is done. 

Then you will be glad to go. 


THE GREAT PLEDGE 


Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the 
world.—Matthew 28 : 20. 


As long as God lives and our souls live, so long does 
this pledge stand. 

It is true, we cannot always feel this presence. 
But we can always know that it is there, always think 
of it, as long as thought endures, always rest upon it 
forever and forever: and the reason why this promise 
is given is that we may hold fast to this truth. 

There may be a moment in the very depth of sor- 
row and anguish when the presence is hidden from us. 
But it is not because God is absent. It is because we 
are stunned, unconscious. 

It is like passing through a surgical operation. You 
stretch out your hand to your friend: “Don’t leave me, 
don’t forsake me.’ Then a moment of darkness, a 
blank—and the first thing you feel is the hand; the first 
thing you see is the face of love again. 

So the angel of God’s face stands by us, bends upon 
us, and we may know that he will be there even when 
all else fails. 

Our friends die, our possessions take wings and fly 
away, our honors fade, our strength fails, but beside 
every mouldering ruin and every open grave, in the 
fading light of every sunset, in the gathering gloom of 
every twilight, there is one sweet mighty voice that 
says: 

“‘T will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. In all 
thy afflictions I will be with thee, and the angel of My 
face shall save thee.” 


THE GOOD WAY 


Thus saith the Lord, stand ye in the ways, and see, and 
ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk 
therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls——Jeremiah 


6816. 


There is the way of sensuality. Those who walk in 
it take appetite as their guide. 

There is the way of avarice. Those who follow it 
make haste to get rich. 

There is the way of social ambition, the way of moral 
indifference, the way of intellectual pride, the way of 
hypocrisy, the way of indecision. 

Through all this tangle there runs another way— 
the path of faith and duty. 

Those who walk in it believe that life has a meaning, 
the fulfillment of God’s will, and a goal, the attainment 
of perfect harmony with him. 

They try to make the best of themselves in soul and 
body by training and discipline. 

They endeavor to put their talents to the noblest 
use in the service of their fellowmen, and to unfold 
their faculties to the highest joy and power in the life 
of the Spirit. 

They respect their conscience, and cherish their 
ideal. They put forth an honest effort to be good 
and to do good and to make the world better. 

They often stumble. They sometimes fall. But, 
take their life from end to end, it is a faithful attempt 
to walk in “the way of righteousness, which is the way 
of peace.” 


FIRE CANNOT BURN THE TRUTH 


The king cut 1t with the penknife and cast it into the 
fire.—Jeremiah 36 : 23. 


You cannot get away from things by burning the 
written record of them. 

King Jehoiakim made a mistake in that respect 
when Jehudi came into his presence to read from a 
little manuscript an extremely disagreeable prophecy 
of Jeremiah. 

There was a fire on the hearth burning before him. 
And it came to pass, that when Jehudi had read three 
or four leaves, the king cut it with the penknife and 
cast it into the fire. 

“So,” thought the king, “we have done with that 
rubbish.” 

But neither was it rubbish nor had he done with it. 

For God caused Jeremiah to write another little roll 
with the same unpleasant words in it, and there were 
added unto them many like words, and they were all 
true, and it was worse for Jehoitakim in the end than 
if he had preserved and heeded the first book. 

Many a man burns what he wishes later he had kept. 


139, 


JUDGE YOURSELF WITH OTHERS 
Judge not, that ye be not judged.—Matthew 7 : 1. 


How often, if we have the priceless art of being sin- 
cere with ourselves, do we recognize in the qualities 
which displease us in others, the very imps and unruly 
sprites which cause the most trouble in our own econ- 
omy. 

At home we are inclined to go gently with them, to 
make allowances, even to plead excuse for our bother- 
some offspring. And who shall say that this is alto- 
gether wrong or absolutely unwise? Many a vice is 
but a virtue over-driven. Pruning is better than ex- 
termination. 

Why not apply the same principle to what we see 
in our neighbor’s back garden, or in his front yard ? 

Why not remember that he probably has as much 
trouble with his faults and foibles as we have with our 
own! 

And if they happen to be alike, why not use them for 
self enlightenment and correction? 

The things that we dislike in others may serve as mir- 
rors to ourselves. 

But let us not follow the example of that foolish per- 
son described in the Epistle of St. James, who “behold- 
ing his natural face in a glass, goeth his way and 
straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.” 


140 


THE RIGHT WAY TO LOVE OURSELVES 


Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself—Matthew 
19:19. 


In what way are we entitled and bound to love our- 
selves? 

That, of course, is the first question; for upon the 
answer to that depends the line of love which we must 
follow toward our neighbor. 

Evidently the right kind of self-love must not be 
pampering and spoiling. Only with a clear discrimina- 
tion between the good and the bad in our own natures 
are we justified in loving ourselves. 

We ought not to indulge our own whims and passions, 
our sloth and selfishness. 

We ought to dislike and repress that which is evil 
and mean in us, and to cherish that which 1s good and 
generous. 

The only kind of love for ourselves which is permis- 
sible must be wise and clean and careful; it must have 
justice in it as well as mercy; it must be capable of 
discipline as well as of encouragement; it must strive 
to keep the soul above the body, and to develop both. 

Precisely thus, and not otherwise, we should love 
our neighbors: with a steady, sane, liberating, and help- 
ful love, which always seeks to bring out their best. 


141 


DUST AND SPIRIT 


And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, 
and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man 
became a-living soul.—Genesis 2 : 7. 


This practically sums up what the Bible has to tell 
us about the origin of man: his body comes from the 
dust, his soul from God. 

If we know this, we can hold fast the truth of reli- 
gion while we accept the discoveries of science. There 
is no enmity between them. 

How long it took to form man’s body from the dust— 
hours or ages—the Scripture does not say. 

If the Divine process of fashioning such a wondrous 
thing required many centuries and stages of develop- 
ment, that would make no difference with God, to 
whom a thousand years are as one day. 

Let science trace the record in the rocks if it can. 
Why should it shake the soul which came from God ? 

A heaven-born spirit in an earthly house—that is 
our present life—that 1s what the Bible teaches. 
Evolution is not inconsistent with it. 

Christianity tells us that the dust shall not rule the 
soul, but the soul shall rule the dust, and rise to immor- 
tality. 


142 


CANNIBALISM AND GOSSIP 
Ye bite and devour one another.—Galatians 5 : 15. 


Cannibalism is dying out among the barbarous 
tribes: the Fiji islanders have given it up. But it still] 
survives among the most highly civilized peoples. 

You might find yourself in some difficulty if you 
invited a company of friends to a feast in which the 
principal dish was to be a well-roasted neighbor, 
Everybody would refuse with horror, and you would 
probably be escorted to the nearest lunatic asylum. 

But if you wish to serve up somebody’s character 
at a social entertainment, or pick the bones of some- 
body’s reputation in a quiet corner, you will find ready 
guests and almost incredible appetites. 

How cruel are the tender mercies of the wicked ! 

How eager and indiscriminate is the hunger of gos- 
sip ! 

How quick some men are to take up an evil report, 
and roll it as a sweet morsel under their tongues, and 
devour their neighbors, yes, even their friends! 

Perhaps some of my readers are doing it even now, 
chewing the cud in secret. 

“Yes,” you are saying, “this passage applies to so 
and so. And he certainly is a dreadful gossip. I remem- 
ber he told me——” 

Stop, friend, the passage was written for you and 
me. It is of our souls that the fable is narrated. 


143 


LEARN BY THE WORLD’S EXPERIENCE 
Let them not turn again to folly—Psalm 85 : 8. 


Why suffer twice to learn the same lesson ? 

Communism, agrarianism, proletarianism, anarch- 
ism, have all had their day, and it was a bad day— 
in Athens and Sparta and Rome and Jerusalem and 
Paris. 

Why give them another day? 

The divine right of kings and capitalists to impose 
their will upon their fellowmen has been tested many 
times and has always failed to make good before the 
throne of Eternal Wisdom and Righteousness. 

Why ask us to return to these old discredited theo- 
ries? 

They are not really guide-posts. They are signs of 
“no thoroughfare.” 

Give us something really new, gentlemen. 

Think out some better way of co-operation between 
the “haves” and the “have-nots.” 

Devise some better mode of inducing the lazy to 
work, and of restraining the clever and industrious 
from claiming exorbitant gains. 

That is what we need, as surely as two and two make 
four. 


144 


SMALL DESIRES AND NO FEARS 
I shall not want.—Psalm 23 :1. 


It was a shepherd boy who wrote this song about 
the Lord, his Shepherd. 

David had very little of what we should call luxury, 
or abundance, or even comfort, in his early life. 

Plain fare, a lowly couch, the simplest pleasures: but 
he was satisfied. 

He felt his soul restored and enriched by the green 
pastures and the still waters. 

He knew that God would never fail to provide him 
with such things as he really needed. 

It would be well for us, amid the complexity and 
anxiety of our modern life, if we could catch something 
of his spirit. 

For the most part, our distress, our poverty, our 
carking care come, not from the smallness of our 
provisions, but from the largeness of our pampered 
desires. 

We are afraid that we shall not always have cake, 
and so we forget that God has promised that his chil- 
dren shall not lack bread. 

We begin to put our foolish trust in gold, in clever 
enterprises, in wise investments, in daring speculations, 
because the things that we want are so numerous and 
so costly. 

A little plain living would lead to higher thinking. 

It would do us good, it would do our children good, 
if we should learn that the real necessities and the best 
joys of human life are very simple, and for these we 
have a right to trust God, if we do our duty. 


145 


THE PERIL OF IGNORANCE 


The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way: 
but the folly of fools is deceit.—Proverbs 14 : 8. 


It was a great shock to America, in the late war, 
to discover how large a percentage of her people could 
neither read nor write. 

What was democracy thinking of when it suffered 
this perilous bulk of ignorance to grow within its own 
body? 

Are the national institutions in which we take such 
a just and honorable pride safe in the hands of men and 
women whose minds are left in darkness and whose 
moral training is committed to chance or charity, while 
we use their bodies to work our farms, dig our ditches, 
build our railways, and run our factories ? 

We are breeding a Helot class of our own flesh and 
blood. 

We are ignoring the rightful claim of every citizen to 
be prepared for the duties which the state lays upon 
him. 

We are heaping up at the doors of our own temple 
piles of tinder and quick-flaming fuel, ready for the 
torch of the anarchist or the insidious slow-match of 
the cunning usurper. 

We are recruiting the sullen armies of ignorant un- 
rest; 

For every soul denied the right to grow 
Beneath the flag, will be its secret foe. 


DESPONDENCY OVERCOME 


Why art thou cast down, O my soul? 

And why art thou disquieted within me ? 

Hope thou 1n God: for I shall yet praise him, 

Who ts the health of my countenance and my God. 
—Psalm 42 : 11. 


Thy feelings will ebb and flow, thy heart will grow 
warm in summer’s glow and cold in winter’s chill, thou 
wilt be brave and steadfast to-day, downcast and anx- 
ious to-morrow. 

Thy streams will be full in the rainy season, and in 
the time of drouth they will be bare beds of stone. 

Turn away from thyself. Hope in God. 

He fainteth not, neither is weary. He is the unfailing 
fountain; with him is no variableness, neither shadow 
of turning. 

When thou art dismayed, he is still full of an eternal 
peace. 

When thou art downcast, he is still untroubled. 

Is he not everywhere? Does not the sun shine as 
brightly on this bare mountain and on the distant 
walls of Babylon as on the dismantled towers of Zion? 
Will he not rise to-morrow as calmly and surely as he 
rose to-day?! 

Turn to God and he shall be the health of thy coun- 
tenance. 

Look towards the light, and thy shadow shall fall 
behind thee, and thou shalt march even into exile with 
a song upon thy lips and the brightness of an everlast- 
ing hope shining in thy face. 


147 


TOO MANY LAWS 


Woe unto you lawyers, for ye load men with burdens 
grievous to be borne.—Luke 11 : 46. 


Christ found fault with the scribes and Pharisees for 
making too many laws—for regulating life too much. 
This is one of the dangers of a democracy—the pro- 
pensity to make too many laws on too many subjects. 

Doubtless some of these laws are wise and needful. 

Probably most of them are well meant. 

They have a good heart, as the saying goes. 

It is in the head they are lacking. 

And so in practice many of them produce either no 
effect at all, or the contrary of what was intended. 

Not even the Puritan Fathers in their strictest days 
went as far in sumptuary legislation as some of our 
modern regulators would have us go. 

Of old, men were rebuked by the Divine Master for 
asking continually: 

“What shall we eat, and what shall we drink, and 
wherewithal shall we be clothed ?” 

Nowadays it seems to be no reproach to be asking 
continually: 

“What food and drink and raiment shall we permit 
our neighbors to use?” 


148 


SMALL THINGS 
Who hath despised—Zechariah 4 : 10. 


It is not required of every man and woman to be, 
or to do, something great. 

Most of us must content ourselves with humble 
tasks and small parts in the chorus. 

Because Homer and Milton have written epics, shall 
we have no little lyrics? 

Because we have heard the great organ at Freiburg, 
shall the sound of Kathi’s zither in the alpine hut 
please us no more? 

Even those who have greatness thrust upon them 
will do well to lay the burden down now and then, and 
be thankful that they are not altogether answerable 
for the conduct of the unitverse—certainly not all the 
time. 

“‘T reckon,” said a cowbov to me as we were riding 
through the Bad Lands of North Dakota, “‘there’s 
some one bigger than me running this outfit. 

“He can ’tend to it all right, while I smoke my pipe 
after the round-up.” 


149 


A CURE FOR VANITY 


And he took a little child, and set him 1n the midst of 
them.—Mark 9 : 36. 


For the mitigation and restraint of conceit, when it 
becomes acute (either in its gratified or its ungratified 
form), there is no better remedy than to frequent the 
company of little people to whom your occupation 
and your achievements (or failures) are unknown. 

Elsewhere you may find heating flattery, or freezing 
contempt. 

But here you may forget your wounds and cool your 
fever in that fresh and impartial air which belongs to 
the society of young children. 

If the little ones see you sad, they will give you a 
glance of sorrow, they know not why, and then demand 
a new story. 

If they see you glad, they will rejoice with you, they 
know not why, and then call you to their merriest play. 

It is helpful to get away from yourself. 


150 


RICH AND POOR 


The rich and the poor meet together.—Proverbs 22 : 2; 
Matthew 25 : 14-30. 


Equality of condition is nowhere written in the Chris- 
tian programme. In fact, the parable of the talents im- 
plies a continuing state of inequality. 

Yet the real curse of the one-talent man is not the 
poverty of his portion, but the meanness and selfish- 
ness of his heart. 

He is a slacker, a shirker, a striker, a lock-out man, 
a parasite. 

His unused talent becomes a fungus. 

That the rich and the poor are likely to be with us 
as long as men differ in ability and industry, is clearly 
intimated in the Good Book as well as in the dry tables 
of political economy. 

But the Good Book adds a prediction of woe to the 
rich if they suffer the pride of wealth to divide them 
from the poor. 

“Go to, now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your 
miseries that shall come upon you. 

“Your riches are corrupted and your garments are 
moth-eaten. 

“Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of 
them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your 
flesh as it were fire.” 


ISI 


QUIET AND CONTENT 
Study to be quiet—I Thessalonians 4 : II. 


It is good to remember that the finest and most beau- 
tiful things that can ever come to us cannot possibly 
be news to the public. 

It is good to find the zest of life in that part of it 
which does not need, and will not bear, to be adver- 
tised. 

It is good to talk with our friends, knowing that 
they will not report us; and to play with the children, 
knowing that no one is looking at us; and to eat our 
meat with gladness and singleness of heart. 

It is good to recognize that the object of all true 
civilization is that a man’s house, rich or poor, shall be 
his castle, and not his dime museum. 

It is good to enter into the spirit of Wordsworth’s 
noble sonnet, and, turning back to “the good old cause,” 
thank God for those safeguards of the private life 
which still preserve in many homes 

“Our peace, our fearful innocence, 
And pure religion breathing household laws.” 


oie) 


THE GRIND OF LIFE 
Patient in tribulationn—Romans 12 : 12. 


You must not suspect me of having an ulterior design 
of springing a new theory of the universe upon you, 
nor of subtly advertising a panacea for all 

“The heartache, and the thousand natural shocks 

That flesh is heir to.” 

No, I am as much in the dark as you are, and with 

you I suffer 
“The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.” 

’Tis a rough, confused, turbulent age in which we 
have to live. 

But it is the only age that is given to us. Let us 
make the best of it. 

And above all let us not lose either our loyalty to 
truth or our sense of humor. 

Tribulation means “grinding”; and I suppose we 
must go through it if we want the good flour to come 
out of the wheat. ’ 


153 


A FRIEND IN YOUTH AND OLD AGE 


Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not 
when my strength faileth—Psalm 71 : 9. 


The young need God for counsel and restraint; the 
old for consolation and encouragement. 

It is not easy to grow old gracefully, or even cheer- 
fully. 

Much is taken when youth departs; and the increase 
of experience is mocked by the failure of power to make 
use of it. 

If one is to carry on bravely through the remaining 
years, there must be a Divine Companion to cheer the 
way and lighten the burden. 

This companionship will be infinitely sweeter and 
more helpful if it has been begun early. 

An old friend is better than a new acquaintance. 

That is why the Bible says: 

“Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy 
youth, before the evil days come.” 


154 


BIBLE READING 
Searching the Scriptures daily.—Acts 17 : 11. 


There are three ways in which we may read the 
Bible. 

We may enjoy it as literature. 

We may see in it a noble and impassioned interpre- 
tation of nature and life, uttered in language of beauty 
and sublimity, touched with the vivid colors of human 
personality, and embodied in forms of enduring liter- 
ary art. 

We may study it as a collection of historical books, 
written under certain conditions, and reflecting, in 
their contents and in their language, the circumstances 
in which they were produced. 

This is the aspect in which criticism regards the 
Bible; and its intellectual interest, as well as its reli- 
gious value, is greatly enhanced by such a study. 

We may come to it as the inspired guide to faith 
and conduct. And this is the point of view from which 
it appears most precious. 

None of these three ways of studying the Bible is 
hostile to the others. 

On the contrary, they are helpful to one another, 
because each of them gives us knowledge of a real fac- 
tor in the marvellous influence of the Bible in the 
world. 


155 


TAXES 
Doth not your master pay tribute ?—Matthew 17 : 24. 


The question of taxes is one that comes home, in 
Daniel Webster’s phrase, to our “business and bosoms.” 

Thoreau went to jail rather than pay a tax which he 
thought unjust. 

Jesus Christ cheerfully paid tribute to a govern- 
ment which he neither loved nor approved. 

Of the two examples I prefer that of Christ. 

Certainly under democracy it is unreasonable to re- 
fuse, and dishonest to evade, taxation. 

If you do not like the system, you can vote against 
it. 

That is your lawful weapon of resistance. 


156 


A MEDICAL EXPERIENCE 
Arise, take up thy bed, and walk.—John 5 : 8. 


When I was very sick I sent for the doctor. 

He gave me good medicine. 

But it seemed to have little effect. 

Then I asked him what was the reason, and he said: 

“You have microbes in your mind.” 

Then I looked inside myself and found two poison 
germs. | 

The first was rebellion at being sick. 

The second was doubt that God could make me well 
if he had more work for me to do. 

So I asked God to help me cast out these two mi- 
crobes, and he did it. 

Then I laid hold on life, and the doctor’s medicine 
began to do me good. 

Since then I have lived thirty years, working all the 
time. 


157 


PESSIM AND OPTIM 
If God is for us, who is against us?—Romans 8 : 31. 


It is useful to see the dark side. It is helpful to see 
the bright side. 

But whichever side is most clear to you, do not let 
it make you an “‘ist.”’ 

Do not insist that the side you see is the only side. 

You must admit that things are not so bad but what 
they might be worse. 

Therefore, you can not be a pessimist yet. 

You can’t claim that things are so good that there is 
no need of betterment. Therefore, you may not be an 
optimist yet. 

Open your mind on both sides. 

Don’t ignore the evil. 

Don’t despair of the good. 

Work patiently for the better. 

Believe that God is on that side. 

Take religion not as an opiate, but as a tonic. 


158 


THE DISAGREEABLE TRUTH 
Trust ye not in lying words.—Jeremiah 7 : 4. 


The prophet, Jeremiah, had a hard task laid upon 
him. 

Of noble birth, endowed with prophetic and priestly 
gifts, living at a time when the future of the Jewish na- 
tion seemed to be very bright, this young man was 
called to be the bearer of evil tidings, the messenger of 
sure-coming doom to Judah. 

Such a mission is never pleasant or popular. 

Jeremiah was lonely, despised, persecuted. 

He was probably the best-hated man in Jerusalem. 

But he did not flinch from his duty of telling the dis- 
agreeable truth. 

Every age needs prophets who are brave enough to 
do that—Cassandra on the wall of windy Troy, Dante 
flying from ill-counselled Florence, Carlyle picturing 
the shame and danger of self-complacent England, our 
own young men who are proclaiming the peril of wealth- 
worshipping America. 

“‘Pessimists, ravens,” cry the crowd, “away with 
you !”’ 

No, for if these forsake us, we shall be in greater 
danger. 

The country whose seers prophesy only smooth things 
is likely to have a rough time. 


159 


e 


THE QUIETUDE OF CHRIST 


Take my yoke upon you and learn of me; for I am 
meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your 
souls.—Matthew I1 : 29. 


Rest! Rest! 

How that word rings like a sweet bell through the 
turmoil of our age. 

We are rushing to and fro, destroying rest in our 
search for it. 

We drive our automobiles from one place to another, 
at furious speed, not knowing what we shall do when 
we get there. 

We make haste to acquire new possessions, not 
knowing how we shall use them when they are ours. 

We are in a fever of new discoveries and theories, 
not knowing how to apply them when they are made. 

We feed ourselves upon novel speculations until our 
heads swim with the vertigo of universal knowledge 
which changes into the paresis of universal doubt. 

But in the hours of silence, Christ whispers a secret 
to our hearts. Rest depends upon conduct. 


160 


TRUE NEIGHBOR-LOVE 
Speaking the truth in love-—Ephesians 4 : 15. 


Religion does not tell us to love or to encourage our 
neighbors’ faults: but to love our neighbors in spite 
of their faults and to do what we can to better them. 

True neighbor-love, then, will not be a weak, gelat- 
inous, sentimental thing. 

It will have a conscience. 

It will be capable, on occasion, of friendly warning 
and reproof. 

It will even accept, if need be for the protection of 
ourselves and other neighbors, the duty of restraint or 
punishment. 

I may have a rowdy or a thief for a neighbor, but 
my love ought not to embrace rowdiness or thievery 
in him any more than in myself. 

The same thing is true of malice or envy or laziness 
or a slanderous tongue. 


161 


PROFIT FROM THE PAST 


I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient 
times.—Psalm 77 : 5. 


Henry Ford says that “‘history is all bunk.” 

That remark itself has become historical. 

But Carlyle says that “history is the essence of in- 
numerable biographies,’ and most wise men agree with 
him. 

All the roads of life have been travelled by other 
men and nations before us. 

Why not learn something from their experience ? 

Peace, prosperity, victory, have been won in former 
times. 

Why not inquire of the past how good results have 
been attained? 

Strife, disaster, misery, have been found on certain 
courses. 

Why pay a new price to learn an old lesson? 

At the cross-roads is the place to read the sign-posts 
and ask questions. 

What our age needs is to face the facts of life more 
frankly and to think more soberly about them. 

Deliberation is no waste of time. 

It is a saving of expense. 


162 


THE POETRY OF HEAVENLY LOVE 


As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth 
my soul after Thee, O God.—Psalm 42 : I. 


No lover ever poured out the longings of his heart 
toward his mistress more eagerly than David voiced 
his desire and thirst for God. 

No conqueror ever sang of victory more exultantly 
than David rejoiced in the Lord, who was his light and 
his salvation, the strength of his life and his portion 
forever. 

After all, the true mission of poetry is to increase 
joy. 

It must, indeed, be sensitive to sorrow and ac- 
quainted with grief. 

But it has wings given to it in order that it may bear 
us up into the ether of gladness. 

There is no perfect joy without love. Therefore 
love-poetry is the best. 

But the highest of all love-poetry is that which cele- 
brates, with the Psalms, 

“that Love which is and was 
My Father and my Brother and my God.” 


163 


CHOOSE YOUR PORT—THEN LAY YOUR 
COURSE 


It was determined that we should sail for Italy.—Acts 
29.21, 


A captain should have a clear idea of what port he 
is to reach before he attempts to lay his course and 
determine his manner of sailing. 

All these minor questions of ways and means must 
come afterwards. 

They cannot be settled at the outset. 

{hey depend on circumstances. 

They change with the seasons. 

There are many paths to the same end. 

One may be best to-day. 

Another may be best to-morrow. 

The wind and the tide make a difference. 

One way may be best for you, another way for me. 

The build of the ship must be taken into considera- 
tion. 

A flat-bottomed craft does best in the shallow water, 
along shore. 

A deep keel is for the open sea. 

But before we make up our minds how to steer from 
day to day, we must know where we are going in the 
long run. 

Then we can shape our course to fit our purpose. 

We can learn how to meet emergencies as they arise. 

We can change our direction to avoid obstacles and 
dangers. 

If we keep the thought of our desired haven clearly 
before us, all the other points can be more easily and 
wisely settled; and however devious and difficult the 
voyage may be, it will be a success when we get there. 


164 


THE PROGRESSIVE IS A TRUE CONSERVATIVE 


Speak unto the children of Israel that they go forward. 
—Exodus 14:15. 


Do you remember when you were learning to ride 
the bicycle? 

If you stopped you usually fell down. 

It was easier to keep your balance if you moved on. 

When you have deliberated, when you have seen the 
guiding light upon the way of security and peace, then 
go forward. 

Prudence is wortnless unless you put it into practice. 

When in doubt, do nothing. 

But when your doubt clears away, if you continue 
to do nothing you will soon be in doubt again. 

Never man or nation was saved by inaction. 

The way out of danger is the way into work. 

Gird up your loins and push along your chosen path, © 
steadily, bravely, strenuously, until you come to your 
promised land. 


165 


DONT BLACKGUARD THE PURITANS 


He shall turn the heart of the fathers unto the children 
and the heart of the children unto the fathers; lest I 
come and smite the earth with a curse.-—Malachi 4 : 6. 


Something too much of iron there may have been in 
the Puritan’s temper; something too httle of sunlight 
may have come in through the narrow windows of his 
house. 

But that house had foundations, and the virile vir-. 
tues lived in it. 

There were plenty of red corpuscles in his blood, and 
his heart beat in time with the eternal laws of right, 
even though its pulsations sometimes seemed a little 
slow and heavy. 

It would be well for us if we could get back into the 
old way, which proved itself to be the good way, and 
maintain, as our fathers did, the sanctity of the fam- 
ily, the sacredness of the marriage-vow, the solemnity 
of the mutual duties binding parents and children to- 
gether. 

From the households that followed this way have 
come men that could rule themselves as well as their 
fellows, women that could be trusted as well as loved. 


166 


THE INSTINCT OF PRAYER 


Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and Hi 
delivered them out of their distresses—Psalm 107 : 6. 


Prayer is something that no man can understand} 
there is a mystery about It. 

We cannot explain how the voice of a mortal creature 
should have any influence upon the immortal God; 
how there should be any connection between the sup- 
plications which are wrung from our hearts by the 
pressure of want and danger and the fulfillment of those 
vast designs which have been formed from all eternity. 

But however that may be, prayer is an instinct of 
the human heart, and the religion which did not pro- 
vide for it would be no religion at all. 

It is as natural to pray as it is to breathe. 

If you want to know how inevitably men turn to 
God in all kinds of trouble, read the 107th Psalm. 

Every shipwreck, every war, every famine, every 
pestilence, gives new illustrations to the old story. 


167 


HUMAN PROGRESS 


Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children, whom thou 
shalt make princes in all the earth—Psalm 45 : 16. 


The most perfect example of pure socialism is a 
swarm of bees, where personality is ni/, every member 
gets the same pay—board and lodging—and the only 
object is to perpetuate the swarm and keep the hive 
full. 

But without the aid of man they never produce a 
better bee or a more perfect hive. Is humanity to 
come down to that level? 

The Talmud speaks scorn of a world where “one 
man eats and another says grace.” Is it much better 
than a world where everybody gorges and nobody says 
grace? 

I can see no reason, either in morals or in religion, for 
the perpetuation of the human swarm, except for the 
development and perfecting of human souls. 

What real good appears in the mere continuance of 
any community unless you think of the men and 
women and children who live there, each one the 
inheritor of a spark of the Divine Life, which may be 
cherished and enlarged into a flame of beautiful and 
potent light? 

There is your reason for sacrifice. 

There is your reason for service. 

The community has a claim to live for the sake of 
the better.men and women who are going to live in It. 


168 


FALSE LOVE OF SELF 
For men shall be lovers of self—II Timothy 3 : 2. 


Some Christians are like candles that have been lit 
once and then put away in a cupboard to be eaten up 
by mice. 

How much better to stay lit and keep on burning 
even till the candle is burned out, so long as it gives 
light ! 

There are plenty of us who love our “Self” as if 
we were our own grandmothers. 

Whenever the little chap cries for more candy, or 
somebody else’s doll, we let him have it. 

Dear little fellow, he is so cunning ! 

But the scriptural image of the divine love, which 
is to be our pattern, is not indulgent grandmotherhood 
but perfect fatherhood. 

Now a good father desires each of his children to 
grow up, to develop. 

He does not wish them all alike. 

But he wishes the whole family to have peace and 
happiness. 

He wants harmony from the different instruments. 


169 


A SHADOW OUR DEFENSE FROM SHADOWS 


In the shadow of thy wings will I take refuge —Psalm 
4 28. 


God protects his children as the mother bird covers 
jer nest. 

High in air the hawks go sailing by, but they cannot 
reach the nest: even their shadows cannot fall on it. 

Jesus said, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often 
would I have gathered thy children together, even as 
a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings!” 

It is the same figure, consecrated by the Divine lips; 
and it teaches us that there 1s a great sheltering love 
which is closer to us than any evil can ever come, hid- 
ing us securely, not only from harm, but also from fear. 

Here is the peculiar beauty of the simile. It makes 
a shadow our defense from shadows. 

The only thing that can really darken the soul is 
something coming between it and God; but that 1s 
impossible so long as the soul remembers his presence 
and love. 

The troubles and pains of life are all outside of that; 
they are away beyond the protecting wings, floating 
by, like little clouds, like hovering hawks; we can wait 
in security until these “calamities be overpast.”’ 

Troubles far off: God very near. Calamities belong 
to time: peace is part of eternity. 


170 


THE LIGHT OF; LIFE 


Thy word 1s a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my 
path.—Psalm 119 : 105. 


One secret of the vitality and power of the Bible 1s 
that it lies so near to the throbbing heart of the world. 

Its humanity is no less manifest, no less potent, than 
its divinity. 

There is life in it, and life is always interesting. 

We need to be on our guard against any method of 
interpreting these Scriptures which would make them 
shadowy and unreal. 

When they are regarded chiefly as a collection of 
mystical charms, a mine where we may dig for doc- 
trines, or a compilation of forms of sound words, their 
best influence is lost. 

A desiccated Bible will have small power with any- 
body except the superstitious. 

We ought to be grateful that it did not fall from heav- 
en like the fabulous statue of Diana of the Ephesians; 
nor was it whispered into any man’s ear by a pigeon 
after the fashion in which Mahomet said that he re- 
ceived the Koran; but God caused it to grow upon the 
earth, and to draw into itself all that was noblest and 
purest in many generations of our fellowmen. 

We ought to remember that there is not a book in it, 
and hardly a chapter, the threads of which are not in- 
terwoven with the actual experience of a human life. 


I7I 


FAMILIAR GREETINGS 


And into whatever house ye shall enter, first say, 
Peace be to this house!—Luke to: 5. 


Christ here commends to his disciples the use of 
the most familiar everyday greeting of the East,—a 
commonplace of politeness, such as the new generation 
despises. 

But familiarity has its charm, and I count it good 
that life is impregnated with it. 

The regular ways, the rules of the game, the customs 
of courtesy, and the common phrases of colloquial 
speech—these are pleasant things in their season (which 
is daily), and without them our existence would be 
wayward, rude, exhausting, and far less tolerable than 
it is. 

So with the salutations we exchange as we meet and 
part on the highway or the footpath of life: I find that 
a certain regularity in them is not so much a defect, 
as a necessity, a wise and friendly concession to the 
limits of our inventive power. 

Meetings and partings are so common that their 
proper ritual must needs be of the commonplace. 

To make it otherwise would be to weave the plain 
family umbrella of cloth of gold. 


172 


THE FATHER OF LIES 


And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not 
surely die-—Genesis 3 : 4. 


The attempt to deny or ignore evil has been the 
stock in trade of every false doctrine that has befogged 
and bewildered the world since the days of Eden. 

The fairy tale that the old serpent told to Eve is a 
poetic symbol of the lie fundamental—the theory that 
sin does not mean death, because it has no real exist- 
ence and makes no real difference. 

“Evil is nothing,” say these teachers. ‘“‘It is not 
real. It is an illusion, a negation. Shut your eyes and 
it will vanish.” 

Yes, but open your eyes again and you will see it in 
the same place, in the same form, doing the same 
work. 

A most persistent nothing, a most powerful nothing! 

Not the shadow cast by the good, but the cloud that 
hides the sun and casts the shadow. 

Not the “silence implying sound,” but the discord 
breaking the harmony. 

Evil is as real as the fre that burns you, as the flood 
that drowns you, as the typhoid germ that you can 
put under a microscope and see it squirm. 


173 


QUIET STRENGTH 


Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his 
might.—Ephesians 6 : 10. 


Two modern expressions have been popular in our 
day: the Strenuous Life, and the Simple Life. 

Each of these phrases has its own value. But when 
they are over-emphasized and driven to extremes they 
lose their truth and become catch-words of folly. 

The simple life which blandly ignores all care and 
conflict soon becomes flabby and invertebrate, senti- 
mental and gelatinous. 

The strenuous life which does everything with set 
jaws and clenched fists and fierce effort, soon becomes 
strained and violent, a prolonged nervous spasm. 

Somewhere between these two extremes must lie the 
golden mean: a life that has strength and simplicity, 
courage and calm, power and peace. 

But how can we find it? 

The secret of it is in the text, for it tells of an inex- 
haustible reserve of strength. 


174 


REGRET AND SELF-CONDEMNATION 
Against thee, thee only, have I sinned.—Psalm 51 : 4. 


There are two strange and powerful judgments 
which form themselves in our minds, from time to time, 
whether we will or no. 

The first 1s the judgment of regret. 

“YT am sorry that such and such a thing has been 
done. I wish that I had acted differently. I wish that 
so and so had not done this.” 

It is a silent confession that some things are which 
had better not be, and which need not have been if we 
and our fellowmen were only a little more wise and 
true and faithful. 

The second is the judgment of condemnation on 
ourselves or on others. 

We can’t help feeling “down on” some things be- 
cause they are base and mean and cruel and unjust. 

We despise them because we know we are responsible 
for them. 

We can’t be perfect, but at least we need not have 
been as bad as that. 

We are to blame and we know it because the voice 
of God speaking in our conscience utters the judgment 
of condemnation. 

To be deaf to this is to be a dead soul. 


175 


THE SUNRISE OF GOD 


Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens ; let thy glory 
be above all the earth—Psalm 57 : 11. 


I think David wrote this psalm in a cavern where he 
was hiding from the wrath of King Saul. 

In the darkness the outlaw finds his refuge in the 
thought of God’s loving kindness and truth. 

Then, at dawn, we can see him rising from his rude 
couch, taking his harp from its resting place, and 
sweeping his hand joyously over its strings as he comes 
down through the shadows of the cave. 

He stands in the cavern’s mouth. 

He looks out upon the trickling fountain, and the 
rich verdure which marks its course through the little 
oasis among the limestone cliffs. 

He sees the last star fading in the sky, the faint glow 
creeping up the eastern horizon, the stir of life upon 
the face of the earth, the sun lifting himself beyond the 
Dead Sea and rejoicing as a strong man to run a race. 

But he sees more than this. 

He sees an image of something spiritual and tran- 
scendent. 

For here in the last verse of the psalm we find the. 
last picture—the sunrise of God. 


176 


FOOLISH NOVELTIES 


Now all the Athenians... spent their time in noth- 
ing else, but either to hear or to tell some new thing.— 
Acts e171: 


The passion for novelty is a very old thing. 

In every age men have flattered themselves as makers 
of a new era, and eccentricity has mistaken itself for 
originality. 

Among the paths of conduct, that which is entirely 
new is apt to be false, and that which is true is likely 
to have some footprints on it. 

When a man comes to us with a scheme of life which 
he has made all by himself, we may safely say to him, 
as the old composer said to the young musician who 
brought him a symphony of the future: 

“It is both new and beautiful; but that which is new 
is not beautiful, and that which is beautiful is not new.” 


177 


LIGHT AND VISION 


I am come a light into the world that whosoever believeth 
in me may not abide in darkness.—John 12 : 46. 


Just what light is, has long been in dispute. But 
what light does is evident: it enables us to see. Christ 
says that is his mission in the world,—to help us to 
see God, and ourselves, and the real meaning of life. 
Those who believe in him receive this power. But the 
vision varies according to the strength and clearness of 
our eyes. Some are color-blind, some far-sighted, some 
near-sighted, some cross-eyed,—but to all the light 
brings a great gift. 

We might as well expect all men to behold precisely 
the same world when the sun rises, as suppose that all 
Christians will see precisely the same spiritual truths 
when Christ gives them light. Some will see clearly, 
some cloudily; to some the forms will be sharp, to others 
dim; some will have a vivid sense of the colors of life, 
others will see it only black and white, or grey. But all 
who believe in Christ will escape from darkness and 
the shadow of death. They will know that God said, 
Light be, and light was. They will not live in night, 
but in day. Let us not quarrel about colors. 


178 


FACE THE FACTS 


And he, when he 1s come, will convict the world of sin, 
and of righteousness, and of judgment.—John 16: 8. 


I am glad that since we have to live in a world where 
evil exists, we have a religion which does not bandage 
our eyes. 

The first thing that we need to have religion do for 
us is to teach us to face the facts. 

No man can come into touch with the Divine per- 
sonality of Jesus Christ, no man can listen to his teach- 
ing, without feeling the distinction between good and 
evil. 

The choice between them is the great choice. 

The conflict between them is the great conflict. 

Evil is the one thing that God has never willed. 

Good is the one thing that he wills forever. 

Evil is first and last a rebellion against him. 

He is altogether on the side of good. 

Much that is, is contrary to his will. 

There is a mighty strife going on, a battle with 
eternal issues, but not an eternal battle. 

The evil that is against him shall be cast out and shall 
perish. 

The good that overcomes the evil shall live forever. 

And those who yield their lives to God and receive 
his righteousness in Christ are made partakers of ever- 
lasting life. 

This, I humbly believe, is the teaching of Jesus. 

It is the hope of the world. 


179 


INSULARITY 


And when we were escaped then we knew that the island 
was called Melita.—Acts 28 : 1. 


There is a very pretty illustration both of the defects 
and of the virtues of insularity, in this story. 

It seems that a certain vessel was wrecked long ago 
on an island called Malta. 

The ship was acting as a government transport, 
for she carried a prisoner of state, named Paul, with 
his military guard. 

Now their guide-post was marked “Rome.” But by 
reason of the present rain and the cold they had urgent 
need of a camp-fire. 

This the islanders kindled, Paul helping them. 

As he was laying sticks on the flame, a little poison- 
snake sprang out and fastened on his hand. Where- 
upon the islanders concluded that he was a murderer 
pursued by the divine Nemesis. 

But when he shook off the deadly worm and felt no 
harm, they promptly changed their minds and said 
that he was a god. 

These superstitions and extreme judgments belong 
to the dangerous side of insularity. 

But the good side came out when the islanders took 
the castaways into comfortable winter quarters, en- 
tertained them hospitably for three months, and loaded 
them with useful gifts at their departure. 


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180 


FEAR NOT DEATH 


Them who through fear of death were all their lifetime 
subject to bondage.—Hebrews 2 : 15. 


To be afraid of death is to live like a slave, and to die 
many times a year. 

A friend once begged Woodrow Wilson not to risk 
his life by Deg in a long procession through an 
excited See ‘the country cannot afford to jose its 
President.” 

Like a flash came his answer: “The country cannot 
afford to have a coward for President.” 

It is a strange fact, and worth noting, that those 
who have most to do with death—like doctors and 
nurses and ministers—are not much perturbed by it. 

They are of the same mind as Cato, in Cicero’s dia- 
logue On Old Age: 

“Satisfy the call of duty and disregard death.” 

Better still is the saying of St. Paul: 

“Neither death nor life shall be able to separate us 
from the love of God which 1s in Christ Jesus our Lord.” 


181 


AN UNFAILING RIVER 


There 1s a river the streams whereof make glad the city 


of God.—Psalm 46 : 4. 


Last summer I saw two streams emptying into the 
sea. One was a sluggish, niggardly rivulet, in a wide, 
fat, muddy bed; and every day the tide came in and 
drowned out that poor little stream, and filled it with 
bitter brine. 

The other was a vigorous, joyful, brimming moun- 
tain-river, fed from unfailing springs among the hills; 
and all the time it swept the salt water back before it 
and kept itself pure and sweet; and when the tide came 
in, it only made the fresh water rise higher and gather 
new strength by the delay; and ever the living stream 
poured forth into the ocean its tribute of living water— 
the symbol of that influence which keeps the ocean of 
life from turning into a Dead Sea of wickedness. 

When the evil of the world seems to overflow and 
choke you and drown out your soul, it may be because 
you are not giving out enough good. 

If we were more generous we should be less poor. 

The life which has its springs in God never runs dry. 


182 


EVERY PERSON ALSO A NEIGHBOR 
For none of us liveth to himself—Romans 14 : 7. 


If we have no real self, no thoughts, no feelings, no 
personality of our own, we are not persons at all. 

We are mere parts of a machine. 

If on the other hand we are ruled only by self-will, 
self-interest, we are sure to injure other people, and in 
the end to destroy our own happiness. 

We become objectionable members of the commu- 
nity, nuisances, if not criminals. 

The most difficult problem in the conduct of life is 
the harmonizing of these two principles, so that they 
will work together. 

Every one is born a person, a self; and that self has 
the right (which is also a duty) to live and grow. 

Every one is likewise born a neighbor, with ties and 
obligations and duties which spread out on all sides. 

Which has the higher claim? 

Or are they equal? 


183 


LOWLY VIRTUES 


Mind not high things, but condescend to things that are 
lowly.—Romans 12 : 16. 


I am not quite so sure of anything—not even of my 
doubts, denials, and prejudices—as I was in my youth. 

But I have had some experience of what agrees with 
body and soul, as Keats says in his ode to the bards of 
passion and mirth, 

“What doth strengthen and what maim.” 

By that knowledge IJ try to steer my course toward 
peace and a certain degree of usefulness. 

The minor morals of life attract me. 

I like real and decent folk of all creeds and parties. 

But I have zo confidence in catchwords, either of 
autocracy or democracy. 

Universal suffrage is no cure-all of man’s infirmity. 

The small but useful virtues, like fair play, and kind- 
liness, and common courtesy are what we need most 
in the business of daily life. 


184 


THE SECRET PAVILION 


In the covert of thy presence shalt thou hide them from 
the plottings of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a 
pavilion from the strife of tongues —Psalm 31 : 20. 


It may be that you and I will never be called to pass 
through sufferings and trials like those of the author of 
this psalm. 

It may be that our country will never forfeit its 
great privileges and hasten by the pathway of iniquity 
to a ruinous downfall. 

It may be that we shall never have to protest alone 
against the corruptions of an apostate church. 

But it can hardly be, if we are true men, that we 
shall not be forced at some time or other to take the un- 
popular side. 

It can hardly be that we shall never feel the hostile 
pressure of the plots of man, and the stinging arrows of 
the strife of tongues. 

Then we shall need a refuge, and we shall find it 
only in the loyal adherence to our convictions, in the 
faithful performance of our duty, which shall bring us 
so near to God that we can feel his presence encircling, 
embracing, hiding us, as in a secret pavilion. 


185 


THE. LOVE OF FREEDOM 


For ye, brethren, were called for freedom.—Galatians 
5 313. 


Nothing is more difficult to preserve than the true 
love of freedom in a free country. 

Being habituated to it, men cease to consider by 
what sacrifices it was obtained, and by what precau- 
tions and safeguards it must be defended. 

We need also to have a clearer conception of what 
real freedom 1s. 

It is not a state of things in which every man does 
exactly and only what he likes. 

It is rather a state of mind in which men like to do 
what they can, what they may, and what they ought. 

To enjoy it, a man must have some knowledge of 
his natural powers, his civil privileges, and his moral 
duties. 

By knowing and accepting these he becomes free to 
realize his best self as a member of mankind. 

Liberty itself is the great lesson. And in learning it 
we need teachers—the wise, the just, the free of all 
ages. 

Most of all, we need the help of religion, by which 
alone the foundations of the state are laid in righteous- 
ness, and democracy is saved from its own suicidal 
tendencies. 


186 


WHAT A CITIZEN OWES 
Ye were bought with a price —I Corinthians 6 : 20. 


You are born a citizen of the republic; and that does 
not mean very much, as a bare fact, except a duty of 
paying taxes, and a privilege, which you may not prize 
very highly, of voting with more or less regularity. 

But suppose it flashes upon you some day, as I be- 
lieve it does flash upon most honest young people who 
read the history of their country, that all the hard- 
ships and perils and conflicts of the forefathers—all 
the patient endurance of privations and the brave de- 
fiance of dangers, all the offerings of treasure and blood 
that have been made to found, liberate, defend, and 
preserve our country—are a price paid for you. 

Do you not see how that thought must kindle the 
flame of patriotism upon the altar of your heart? How 
it must awaken that strange, inward warmth of feeling 
which glows at the very mention of your country’s 
name? How it will rise, if you are a true man or wo- 
man, in the hour of need, into that devotion which 
cries, “‘It is sweet and beautiful to die for one’s coun- 
try’? 

Surely, the very soul of patriotism is this wonderful 
sense that we have been bought with a price. 


187 


BELOVED RIVERS 


Are not Abanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, 
better than all the rivers of Israel?—II Kings 5 : 12 


The Jordan, except in its upper branches, is not a 
beautiful river. 

It is violent, rude, muddy below the Lake of Gen- 
nesaret, and so liable to floods and droughts that no 
one can live near it, or be friendly with it. 

It is a river to cross, that is all; and the crossing is 
often difficult and dangerous. 

Very different are the streams that water Damascus 
and make its oasis blossom as the rose. 

They do not overflow nor go dry. 

They carry a thousand streams of musical refresh- 
ment through the gardens and orchards. 

Naaman was quite right about them. 

He loved them for their beauty, but also for their 
familiarity, because he had often walked beside them. 

The rivers that we love most are always those that 
we know best—the stream that ran before our father’s 
door, the current on which we ventured our first boat 
or cast our first fly, the brook on whose banks we first 
picked the twinflower of young love. 


188 


MUSIC FOR THE JOURNEY 
Songs in the house of my pilgrimage.—Psalm 119 : 54. 


How wonderfully the old Hebrew hymn book has 
been used! 

With the music of psalms the shepherds and plough- 
men cheered their toil in ancient Palestine; and to the 
same music the Gallic boatmen kept time as they rowed 
their barges against the swift current of the Rhone. 

St. Chrysostom fleeing into exile; Martin Luther 
going to meet all possible devils at Worms; George 
Wishart facing the plague at Dundee; Wicliffe on his 
sick-bed, surrounded by his enemies; John Bunyan in 
Bedford gaol; William Wilberforce in a crisis when his 
noble plans were threatened with ruin—all stayed their 
hearts with verses from the psalms. 

The Huguenots at Dieppe marched to victory chant- 
ing the sixty-eighth psalm; and the same stately war- 
song sounded over the field of Dunbar. 

The motto of England’s proudest university is a 
verse from the psalms; and a sentence from the same 
book is written above the loneliest grave on earth, 
among the snows of the Arctic circle. 

It was with the fifth verse of the thirty-first psalm 
that Jesus Christ commended his soul into the hands 
of God; and with the same words, St. Stephen, St. 
Louis, Huss, Columbus, Luther, and Melanchthon, and 
many more saints of whom no man knoweth, have 
bid their farewell to earth and their welcome to heaven. 


189 


ALL THE DAYS OF YOUR LIFE 


I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.—Psalm 
239.0: 


It is not hard to be an optimist when you are young. 

But how will it be when you grow old? 

Will not the joy vanish, and the cup be empty, and 
the sense of being at home in the world which gladdens 
youth, give place to that feeling of estrangement which 
saddens age? 

Not if you know that you are dwelling in the house 
of the Lord, for then his goodness and mercy will fol- 
low you all the days of your life to remind you where 
you are. 

“For he hath not left himself without a witness in 
that he did good, and gave you from heaven rains and 
fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and glad- 
ness.” 

There is no reason why we should ever lose this deep 
and joyful sense of domesticity in God’s world. 

The discoveries of science need not take it from us, 
but only deepen its wonder and reverence. 

I remember one of the wisest of modern scientific 
men, the physical geographer, Arnold Guyot, whom it 
was my privilege to know well. 

He kept the faith of a little child, and whether he 
was botanizing in his garden, or geologizing on the top 
of some high mountain, he rejoiced like one who was 
at home in the house of his Father. 


190 


HIDDEN SINS 


While I kept silence my bones waxed old through my 
roaring all the day long.—Psalm 32 : 3. 


A sin concealed is like a hidden fire. 

It eats into the very life and consumes it with the 
weariness of old age. 

It “weighs upon the heart.” 

It dries up the springs of innocent joy and peace, so 
that existence becomes like a thirsty, tedious fever. 

There is no relief in “roaring.” 

All the complaints and murmurings, the outcries of 
disgust with life and the growlings of a sullen, discon- 
tented spirit, are in vain. 

Swear that “the times are out of joint”’; swear at the 
world for a cheat; swear at yourself for a fool—all this 
will bring no relief, no comfort. 

The disease (and that means the want of ease) is too 
deep for any remedy that you can devise. 

There is but one Physician who can heal it. 

You must bring it to him, frankly, freely, with no 
reserve, and learn that an honest confession is good for 
the soul, and that God’s mercy is great enough to blot 
out every sin except that which is hidden. 

No half-repentance can possibly succeed, and no full 
repentance can possibly fail. 


191 


HONORABLE WOMEN 


Also of honorable women which were Greeks, and of 
men, not a few.—Acts 17 : 12. 


Christianity came bringing liberty and justice to 
women. 

Even in the Old Testament they had high honor as 
poets, prophets, and patriots. 

The religion of Jesus is contrary to those oriental 
superstitions which tend to enslave woman. 

Yet the Holy Scriptures give a distinct view of wo- 
man’s honor and her highest sphere, which is quite 
different from that of many recent books and well 
worth considering. 

The Bible declares that modesty is woman’s most 
eraceful apparel, and a quiet and home-keeping spirit 
her highest excellence. 

She will gain nothing, and lose much, by joining the 
Order of Gadabouts and Busybodies. 

In her children, given to her by God to be reared for 
his service, and for noble, useful lives in the world, she 
is to find her pleasure and her pride. 

When she shrinks from that gift as an incumbrance, 
fearing that to have children will hinder her in the pur- 
suit of amusement, or interfere with her in that toil- 
some round of most unsocial observances which are 
sometimes called social duties, she is falling far below 
the dignity of her womanhood. 

She is, in fact, although unconsciously, shutting 
herself out from that interior circle of the home, in 
which alone the true woman’s nature puts forth its 
sweetest blossoms and bears its best fruits. 

But when she welcomes her children as blessings, 
and is proud of them, as the Roman matron Cornelia 


192 


was of her two boys; when she gives to them rather than 
to strangers the best that she has to give, and seeks to 
pour her very life into theirs, then she is manifesting 
not her weakness but her strength, and exercising her 


largest possible influence upon the welfare of the nation 
and the race. 


193 


MARRY YOUNG 


As arrows in the hand of a mighty man, so are the chil- 
dren of youth.—Psalm 127 : 4. 


Modern life (which we call civilized) is against early 
marriage and large families. 

But there is much to be said on the other side, and 
the psalmist says it well. 

He says that religion is the only sure foundation of a 
family; and then he:shows us the picture of a father 
with his loyal and stalwart children about him. 

“Children of youth,” he calls them: meaning there- 
by to give a strong and sensible commendation to 
early marriage, and to teach that it is a great privilege 
for a man to have his children grow up and come to 
maturity in his own house, under his own guidance. 

Thus he can have the joy of seeing them established 
in life before he leaves it, and their strength will be a 
support and stay to him in his declining years. 

They will be like arrows in his hand, whose course he 
can direct so that they shall hit the mark. 

They will be an honor and a protection to him; and 
he shall not be ashamed when he stands, with his sons 
by his side, among the throngs of men in the gates of 
the city. 


194 


BRINGING UP CHILDREN 


Only take heed to thyself and keep thy soul diligently, 
dest thou forget the things which thine eyes saw, and lest 
they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but 
make them known unto thy children and thy children’s 
children.—Deuteronomy 4 : 9. 


Surely it would be a good thing, if, in our schools, it 
could be recognized that a child had far better grow up 
thinking that the earth is flat than to remain ignorant 
of God and moral law and filial duty. 

And it would be a still better thing, if, in all our 
homes, there could be a sincere revival of household 
piety—piety in the old Roman sense, which means the 
affectionate reverence of children for parents; piety in 
the new Christian sense, which means the consecration 
of parents and children to God. 

This would rekindle the flame of devotion upon 
many a neglected altar, and shed a mild and gracious 
light through many a gloomy home, making it the 
brightest, cheerfulest, holiest place on earth. 


195 


THE FOREST FIRE OF EVIL 


For wickedness burneth as the fire; it devoureth the 
briers and thorns; yea, it kindleth the thickets of the for- 
est, and they roll upward in a column of smoke.—lIsaiah 
9:18. 


I saw this sight once in Newfoundland when our 
encampment fled from a great conflagration in the 
woods. 

The fire crept along the ground, eating its way 
through the moss and dry leaves secretly, breaking 
suddenly into flame. 

It leaped and ran upon the underbrush with a crack- 
ling sound like crazy laughter. 

It seized upon the tall trees, flaring swiftly into flame- 
pillars, roaring through the night. 

It was terribly beautiful; but behind it was desola- 
tion. 

The passage of an age of licentiousness, an epidemic 
of evil among a people, is like that. 

The hidden progress of false and wicked ways among 
the lowly and the little folk; the noisy progress of pop- 
ular vice and violence in the crowd; the glaring out- 
breaks of wickedness among the high and lofty, visible 
from far—then, exhaustion and ruin! 

Such forest fires the world of man has seen—in the 
days of Sodom and Gomorrah, in the decline of the 
Roman Empire, in the years before the French Revolu- 
tion, and now. 

Nothing can repair the destruction but human faith, 
and hope, and love, and work, in harmony with the 
continuous creative power of God, who makes the waste 
land to bloom again. 


196 


MUSIC THE CONSOLER 


And in the night his song shall be with me.—Psalm 
ADD, 


Wondrous power of music! 

How often has it brought peace, and help, and 
strength to weary and downcast pilgrims! 

It penetrates the bosom and unlocks the doors of 
secret, self-consuming anguish, so that the sorrow flow- 
ing out may leave the soul unburdened and released. 

It touches the chords of memory, and brings back 
the happy scenes of the past. 

In the rude mining camp, cut of by the snows of 
winter, in the narrow cabin of the ship ice-bound in 
Arctic seas, in the bare, dark rooms of the war-prison 
where the captive soldiers are trying to beguile the 
heavy time in company, tears steal down the rough 
cheeks when some one strikes up the familiar notes of 
““Home, Sweet Home.” 

Music lends a strange sweetness to the remembrance 
of the past, and makes the troubles of the present 
heavier, yet somehow easier to bear. 

It borrows the comfort of hope. 

It drops the threads of sorrow one by one, and catches 
the beams of light reflected from the future, and weaves 
them in among its harmonies, blending, brightening, 
softening the mystic web, until we are enclosed, we 
know not how, in a garment of consolation, and the 
cold, tired heart finds itself warmed, and rested, and 
filled with courage. 

Most gracious ministry of music! 

Happy are they who know how to exercise it in sim- 
plicity and love; happy they whose life pilgrimage is 
cheered and lightened by such service. 


197 


A TEXT FOR HARD TIMES 
My times are in thy hand.—Psalm 31 : 15. 


The man who wrote this psalm had passed through 
the bitter school of disappointment. 

His plans had failed; his enemies exulted over him; 
his friends and neighbors had gone back on him and 
forsaken him. 

He was having very hard times. 

But he did not despair. 

He bore up and carried on. 

He could say confidently to God, “My times are in 
thy hand.” 

Not only to-day which is so dark, and to-morrow 
which looks so gloomy, and the long future with all its 
uncertainties; but also all the unknown between-times, 
the connecting links of life, are ruled and controlled by 
God. 

This is a kind of fatalism, you may think; but it is 
the right kind of fatalism. 

For it does not subject us to the caprice of chance, 
nor to the stern compulsion of an unconscious neces- 
sity, but to the will of an all-wise and all-merciful 
Father. 

Happy and strong and brave shall we be—able to 
endure all things, and to do all things—if we believe 
that every day, every hour, every moment of our life 
is in his hands. 


198 


GOOD-BYE AND MIZPAH 


Mizpah: The Lord watch between thee and me when 
we are absent one from another.—Genesis 31 : 49. 


The word ‘‘Good-bye” has a _ beautiful, sacred 
meaning, which is lost to view when we spell it “‘Good- 
by.” | 

It is really a contraction of the phrase God-be-with- 
ye, and is even lovelier than the French ‘‘ Adieu” — 
a deep, holy word. 

But I have often wondered why we have no parting 
phrase in English to express what we so clearly hear 
in other tongues—the lively hope of meeting again. 

The Germans say auf Wiedersehen, and the Italians, 
a rivederci, and the French, au revoir. 

All these are fitting and graceful words; they solace 
the daily separations of life with the pleasant promise 
that we shall see each other again—d bdientét, the 
French say sometimes, as if to underline the wish that 
the next meeting may be soon. 

Mizpah is the Hebrew word. The néarest to it in 
English is “‘so long!” A little bit of slang, perhaps— 
but I like it. 


199 


REST ON A ROUGH ROAD 


Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place and rest a 
while.—Mark 6 : 31. 


Rough is the road, and often dark; frequented by 
outlaws and sturdy beggars; encumbered with wrecks 
of goodly equipages, and bodies of wounded travellers; 
full of cripples, and weary folk who are ready to faint 
and fall, and overladen beasts and men, and little lost 
children. 

At every turn we meet some disappointment or grief; 
in the long level stretches we find blinding heat and 
dust, and in the steep high places, cold and solitude. 

And yet—truth to tell—are there not consolations 
along the way? 

Resting places like that house in Bethany where the 
Master found repose and love; wide and cheering out- 
looks from the brow of the hill, snug shelters in the bo- 
som of the vale, camp fires beneath the trees, wayside 
springs and fountains flowing among the rocks or 
trickling through the moss? 

Here will I stop, and stoop, and drink deep refresh- 
ment. Share with me! 

Music and friendship and nature—sleep and dreams 
and rested waking in the light of morn—these will 
always keep something for us, something to come back 
to; and if we are content with little, enough will be 
better than a feast. 


200 


THE MOUNTAINS AND THE SEA 


Thy righteousness 1s like the great mountains; thy 
gudgments are a mighty deep.—Psalm 36 : 6. 


The mountains and the sea are alike in grandeur, 
but in the quality of their greatness they are very differ- 
ent. 

For the sea is ever moving, changing, flowing to and 
fro. 

But the mountains are fixed, durable, undisturbed 
in majesty. 

Even so to faith the central fact of the universe is 
the unalterable righteousness of the Eternal, who can 
do no evil, tell no falsehood, commit no injustice. 

He changes not; and in this we can rest, secure that 
he will right every wrong and deal fairly with every 
creature. 

But his judgments—the ways and means by which 
the Eternal Will is now working in conjunction or in 
conflict with human wills—seem to us as changeful 
and mysterious as the flowing tides and currents of the 
ocean and all the secrets that they cover. 

They are unsearchable; at times they seem cruel 
and hostile; they sweep over us like billows; they are 
like a flood of destruction. 

Then, if our souls would escape shipwreck, we must 
look beyond the tossing, changeful, incomprehensible 
sea of life, to the immutable mountains of Divine 
righteousness—the unshaken pillars of the world. 


201 


MALICIOUS WHISPERS 
A whisperer separateth chief friends.—Proverbs 16 : 28. 


Be a little careful about the news which is whis- 
pered to you with the injunction, “‘ Don’t tell anybody.” 

It may be true. 

It may be only scandal. 

Of course, there may be a good and honest reason 
for secrecy; but you are entitled to know it before you 
consent to listen. 

If you may tell me, why must I not tell my wife? 

Nobody has a right to force a secret on you, unless 
you are willing for good reason to receive and keep it. 

Nobody has a right to corkscrew a secret out of you 
by impudent whispers. 

To such a one you may answer as he deserves. 


THE SUDDENNESS OF DEATH 
For it is soon gone, and we fly away.—Psalm 90 : 10. 


The word which is here translated “‘soon” means 
suddenly—as a dream when one awaketh. 

Even when life is drawn out to its full length, even 
when an uncommon strength enables us to carry the 
burden on beyond the limit of threescore and ten, the 
thread is suddenly cut off, and we fly away in haste. 

Death is always a surprise. Men are never quite 
ready for it. 

The will is left unwritten. The enterprise halts un- 
completed. The good deed is not accomplished. 

The man who says, “I will devote my fortune hence- 
forth to the service of God and humanity,” flies away 
suddenly, and his wealth is squandered by the spend- 
thrift heir. 

The man who resolves to be reconciled to his enemy 
and die at peace with all mankind, is cut off in a mo- 
ment, and the words of repentance and forgiveness 
are never spoken. 

It is the old story. 

Moses, who lived one hundred and twenty years, 
died too soon, for he never entered the land of promise, 
and his dream was left unfinished. 


203 


REMEMBRANCE AND PROGRESS 
Remember the days of old—Deuteronomy 32 : 7. 


There are two ways of showing attachment to the 
past. 

One is by sneering at the present, finding fault with 
every new effort, holding back from every new enter- 
prise, and making odious comparisons an excuse for in- 
action. 

There have always been some people of this kind in 
the world. 

If there were very many of them the world would 
probably cease to revolve. 

They are the old men of the sea, the heavy weights 
whom the workers have to carry along with them. 

But the other way of honoring the past is kind and 
generous and beautiful. 

It pays grateful tribute to the beauty that lhas 
faded, and the glory that lives only in remembrance. 

It preserves the good things of former days from 
oblivion, and praises the excellent of earth by keeping 
their memory green. 

It is faithful and true, willing to learn, but not will- 
ing to forget. 

Fortunate is the community in which this spirit 
prevails; for there the old and the young are in har- 
mony, though not in unison, and the bright hopes of 
the future are mellowed by contact with the loyal 
memories of the past. 


204 


HEAR THE OTHER SIDE 


He that pleadeth his cause first, seemeth just. But his 
neighbor cometh and searcheth him out.—Proverbs 18 : 17. 


The first man to catch the ear of the public has an 
advantage over those who follow. 

That is because the public is vain, and in a hurry, 
and does not like to revise its hasty judgments. 

A false report has long legs; but the honest correc- 
tion hobbles after it on crutches. 

The law’s delay is a vexatious evil. But it is not as 
bad as “trial by newspaper,” or sentence by “Judge 
Lynch.” 

This applies not only to the action of courts, but 
also to the formation of opinions, prejudices, and pre- 
possessions. 

What do those people who condemned Lincoln as 
a coward and Roosevelt as a drunkard think of them- 
selves to-day? 

Wait. 

Keep your mind open. 

Don’t give your heart to the first comer. Wait for 
the neighbor, who may “search him out.” 


205 


BEYOND FEAR 
Therefore will we not fear—Psalm 46 : 2. 


Why is it that a man who trusts in God is ever 
killed ? 

Why does the Christian soldier fall in battle, and 
the Christian sailor sink in the storm? 

Why does not the providence of God always inter- 
fere to protect his people from disaster and death? 

First of all, remember that, to the true Christian, 
death is no defeat, but a victory. 

For the cause of truth to be overthrown would in- 
deed be a calamity of such a nature as to prove that 
God is either impotent or absent. 

But for you and me to fall only shows that God has 
done serving himself with us on earth, and is ready to 
receive us to our reward in heaven. 

So that in our departure the Lord of hosts is with us; 
and then more truly than ever the God of Jacob be- 
comes our refuge, into whose bosom we fly for ever- 
lasting peace. 

Remember also that even this outward semblance 
of defeat, this call to lay down our arms and leave the 
field, will never come to us until our appointed time. 

“Every man is immortal until his work is done.” 

So long as God has anything for us to do in the 
world he will take care of us and deliver us from dan- 
ger. y 


206 


A WAYSIDE SPRING 


He shall drink of the brook tn the way; therefore will he 
lift up the head.—Psalm 110: 7. 


By the wayside, in a country where I often go to 
rest in the summer, there is a small, cool, crystal spring; 
and by the spring there is a little cup, hanging on the 
broken branch of a tree; and that silent cup says 
clearly that the water flows for everyone who is thirsty 
and will stoop down to drink. 

By the spring of the water of everlasting life there 
is also a cup which tells the same story. 

But it is not for you alone. 

Not far away there is sure to be a little child waiting 
for you to give the cup of cold water in the Master’s 
name. 

There is a place in Christ’s army for every soul that 
belongs to Him, and a spot on the battlefield where 
each soldier is needed. 

In a certain battle, not long ago, the officer of a 
battalion arrived late. 

Dashing up to his chief, he asked where he should 
lead his troops. 

*“Go where you please,’ was the answer, “‘there is 
_ good fighting all along the line.” 

Yes, there is good fighting all along the line for 
Christ ! 

In heathen lands and in our own land; in the uni- 
versity and in the market-place; in society and on the 
frontier; in the home and in the mission school—all 
along the line thousands of places where loyal soldiers 
can do glorious service for Christ and their fellowmen. 

But you must go out to do it. 


207 


FRIENDSHIP FOR ALL SEASONS 
A friend loveth at all times.—Proverbs 17 : 17. 


There is a certain kinship of spirits which does not 
depend on outward things. 

It does not rest on common circumstances, or on 
similar tastes, on identical opinions. 

Take, for example, the friendship of David and 
Jonathan—a royal prince, and a shepherd boy—yet 
their friendship lasted until death, and beyond. 

The test of such a friendship is found not only in 
adversity, but also in prosperity. 

The man who sticks to you when fortune favors and 
your affairs go well, who has no envy or jealousy, and 
does not fear to warn you faithfully against self-com- 
placency and a proud mind, 1s no less precious in those 
hours of golden danger than the man who encourages 
and lifts you up when you are cast down. 

That is the mark of a true friend: he loveth az all 
times. 


208 


THE POETRY OF BROTHERHOOD 


Oh magnify the Lord with me, 
And let us exalt his name together. 


—Psalm 34 : 3. 


The fault, or at least the danger, of modern lyrical 
poetry is that it is too solitary and separate in its tone. 
It tends toward exclusiveness, over-refinement, 
morbid sentiment. 
Many Christian hymns suffer from this defect. 
But the Psalms breathe a spirit of human fellow- 
ship even when they are most intensely personal. 
The poet rejoices or mourns in solitude, it may be, 
but not alone. 
He is one of the people. 
He is conscious always of the ties that bind him to 
his brother men. 
Compare the intense selfishness of the modern 
hymn: 
“T can but perish if I go; 
I am resolved to try; 
For if I stay away, I know 
I shall forever die,” 


with the generous penitence of the Fifty-first Psalm: 
“Then will I teach transgressors thy way; 
And sinners shall be converted unto thee.” 


209 


HOME AND CITY 
God setteth the solitary in families —Psalm 68 : 6. 


The welfare of the city and the welfare of the home 
are inseparably connected. 

What is the city, after all, but a great collection of 
homes? 

And how can its peace and its prosperity be secured 
otherwise than through the order and happiness of 
those who are bound together in its separate house- 
holds f 

We often talk vaguely about the city as if it were a 
mighty entity, with a distinct life of its own. 

But in truth it has no existence apart from the fami- 
lies which compose it. Its life is theirs. 

The physical conditions, such as overcrowding, and 
bad buildings, and high rents, which make the forma- 
tion of a home difficult, and the moral conditions, such 
as the prevalence of drunkenness and licentiousness, 
the inordinate pursuit of amusements, and the insane 
desire of wealth, which make the happiness of a home 
impossible, are the real dangers of the city. 

It is against these things that we need to be on our 
guard, and to work and fight with all our might. 

But, after all, the great work must be done in and 
through the home; and this cannot be accomplished 
by the law; it can only be brought about by the Gospel. 

Men and women must make their own households 
sweet and orderly and happy; they must train their 
children in the fear of God and the love of man; they 
must promote the general good by doing their duty in 
the natural relations in which Providence has placed 
them. 


210 


THE SOURCE OF WAR 


Out of the heart come forth evil thoughts —Matthew 
15:18. 


War, with its attendant horrors, seems like an out- 
rage upon love. 

And so it is, in its origin and source. 

“From whence come wars and fightings among 
you? 

“Come they not hence, even of your lusts that war 
in your members? 

“Ye lust and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, 
and cannot obtain.” 

Yet there is a war against war which is set in the 
very key of “‘Love thy neighbor as thyself.” 

It was to frustrate a gigantic crime and to redress 
villainous wrong, that the Allies took up arms in the 
World War, and America at last joined them. 

Had her heart been quicker, her feet more swift, she 
might have reached the Jericho Road in time to stop 
the robbers before they began their cruel work. 

Who can tell? 

At least, having arrived, she did her best and beat 
them off. 


211 


THE HUMBLENESS OF THE WISE 


O Lord, my heart 1s not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty; 
neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or things too 
wonderful for-me.—Psalm 131 : 1. 


With the sense of ignorance wisdom takes her first 
step. 

In the consciousness of limited knowledge she learns 
to walk. 

He who thinks he knows everything really knows 
nothing. 

For every part of the world exists only in its relation 
to the whole universe, and the full compass of that is 
manifestly beyond human ken. 

It is the narrow-minded man who is most cocksure 
of his opinions and ready to apply them to all subjects 
and cases. 

He will undertake to regulate the world on the basis 
of a single misinterpreted verse of Scripture. 

But the great men of knowledge are content to say: 

“This or that 1s the fact, so far as we have been 
able to discover it. 

“Tt throws a little light on the further path of study. 

“Far beyond it lies the region of the wonderful, of 
mystery, not yet explored.” 


212 


THE BREATH OF THE SPIRIT 


The wind bloweth where it will. * * * So 15 everyone 
that 1s born of the Spirit.—John 3 : 8. 


Here is the sea on which you float, the sea of human 
life, with its shifting tides and currents. 

Yonder is the sky that bends above you, the pure and 
sovereign will of God. 

Out of that unsearchable heaven comes the breath 
of the Spirit, like “the wind that bloweth where it 
listeth, and thou canst not tell whence it cometh and 
whither it goeth.”’ 

If you will spread your sail to catch that breath of 
life, if you will lay your course and keep your rudder 
true, you will be carried onward in peace and safety to 
your desired haven. 

Nay, more; if there seems to be no breeze stirring 
near you, if you feel that you are lying idle and help- 
less in a dead calm, drifting upon the dark currents 
which may bear you to destruction, you have only to 
ask for the saving breath and it will come. 

For earthly parents are not more willing to give 
good gifts unto their children than your Heavenly 
Father to give his Spirit unto them that ask him. 

Ask then, for what you can surely have, and sail, 
and steer, and leave the secret things to God. 


213 


A SHEPHERD IN PALESTINE 


I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd layeth down 
his life for the sheep.—John 10 : II. 


This saying of Jesus and the twenty-third psalm go 
together. 

In order to understand them fully we need, first of 
all, to remember how different is the life of a shepherd 
in Syria from that of his brother in England or America; 
and how much closer is the tie which binds him to his 
helpless charge in a wild, unsettled country, where 
robbers and fierce beasts abound, than it can possibly 
be among the peaceful hill-pastures of Vermont, or in 
the smooth meadows of a city park. 

Here you shall see the sheep left to take care of 
themselves, or driven about from one feeding ground 
to another by a man who seems to be little more than 
a policeman to them. 

But in Palestine I have seen many a shepherd acting 
as the “‘guide, philosopher, and friend”’ of his flock. 

He must think where he can find, amid the drought 
of burning summer, the narrow strips of herbage on 
which they can feed, and the unfailing springs where 
they can drink. 

He must be ready to rescue them from the fury of 
mountain torrents when they rise in flood. 

He must guard them against the attacks of wild 
animals, as he leads them through the black defiles of 
the hills where the shadows of rocks and bushes hide 
the crouching forms of death. 

He does not drive them; he leads them, and calls 
them to follow him. 

He must be prepared to evade or repel the crafty 

214 


assaults of brigands who will not hesitate to kill him 
in order to carry away his sheep. 

I have read lately of a faithful man, between Tiberias 
and Tabor, who “actually fought three Bedouin rob- 
bers until he was cut to pieces by their knives, and 
laid down his life among the sheep he was defending.” 


215 


TONGUE-FIRE 
The tongue is a fire-—James 3 : 6. 


We are all warned against the danger of fire in the 
forest. 

But the most devastating fires are kindled in life by 
a reckless, evil tongue. 

There are two good rules which ought to be written 
upon every heart. 

Never believe anything bad about anybody, unless 
you positively know that it is true. 

Never tell even that, unless you feel that it 1s abso- 
lutely necessary, and that God is listening while you 
tell it. 

If you will follow these rules you may lie down in 
peace, and God will take care of you if you keep your 
lips from evil and your heart from guile. 

If every careless and half-malicious gossip could see 
the harm that has been wrought by his idle words, re- 
peating unproved rumors, he would be horrified at the 
account which he must fs for setting and spread- 
ing tongue-fire. 


216 


THIRSTING FOR THE HOUSE OF GOD 


My soul thirsteth for thee * * * to see thy power and 
thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the Sanctuary.—Psalm 
egy Ragy 7 


Not to many of us has it happened to be entirely 
deprived of the outward ordinances of religion, to dwell 
in a region where there was no church and no com- 
munity of worship and no service of Christian praise 
and prayer. 

But perhaps there are some of the readers of this 
meditation who have known what it is to be kept by 
sickness, or infirmity of body, or the duty of caring 
for others who were helpless, for a long time from the 
house of God and the community of Christian worship. 

If the church has ever been a reality and a blessing 
to you, this enforced absence has given you pain and 
distress. 

You may have borne it patiently and without mur- 
muring; but still it has been a real trial, and you have 
felt that deep thirstiness of spirit which David de- 
scribes in his psalm. 

It is a mark of true religious life. 

For when a man can willingly forego even the out- 
ward services of religion and stay away from the house 
of God, and let the seasons of devotion and communion 
pass by without a regret, his faith and love must be at 
a low ebb, if indeed they have not altogether dried up 
and blown away. 

A living plant seeks water: a living soul longs for the 
refreshment of the sanctuary. 


217 


THE CALL OF THE TRUMPET 


If the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall pre- 
pare himself for war?—I Corinthians 14: 8. 


Every man, like the knight in the old legend, is born 
on a field of battle. 

‘But the warfare is not carnal, it is spiritual. 

Not the east against the west, the north against the 
south, the “Haves” against the “‘Have-nots’’; but the 
evil against the good—that is the real conflict of life. 

The question for each one of us is not only, “On 
which side do I count?” but also, ““To which side do 
Tcalbe 

If we really wish the good to prevail, we must be 
willing to say so as well as to do so. 

Make no secret of your allegiance to the good cause 
in which you believe, even though personally you may 
fail and fall. 

Condemn yourself if need be, but let not your trum- 
pet of faith give an uncertain sound. 


218 


LOVE IS STRONGER THAN WRATH 


The goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance.— 
Romans 2 : 4. 


In the old fable the storm and the sun contended as 
to which of them could make the traveller lay aside 
his cloak. The sun won. 

Faith precedes repentance. 

Hope, not despair, is the mother of godly sorrow. 

The goodness of God is before the badness of man. 

The Divine mercy antedates the human sin. 

It is not until we see the light shining above us that 
we begin to loathe our dark estate and receive strength 
to rise out of the gloom and climb upward. 

Tell men that God is inexorably just and they will 
tremble, and abhor themselves in dust and ashes, and. 
lie still in sullen desperation or seek forgetfulness in 
the delirium of worse excess. 

But tell them that he is kind and gracious, waiting 
to forgive them; and then, if there is anything in them 
that can be saved, if there is a spark of true life not 
yet extinguished in the deadly atmosphere of sin, they 
will turn to their only hope and lay hold of the great 
mercy of God. 

It was the tender, compassionate look of Jesus that 
drew back the wandering Peter from his apostasy. 

It is the sight of Calvary that melts the hardened 
heart. 


219 


GOD’S IMPARTIALITY 


He maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, 
and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.—Matthew 


5:45. 


This is a simple statement of a familiar fact. 

A little experience is enough to convince us that 
what we call the processes of Nature are thoroughly 
impartial. 

The corn and pumpkins in the stingy farmer’s fields 
ripen just as surely and just as abundantly as those 
which have been planted and hoed by the most gener- 
ous of men. 

All you have to do is to sow the seed and till the soil, 
and Nature will do the rest without asking what man- 
ner of man you are. 

Familiar as this is, when we stop to look at it more 
closely does it not puzzle and confound us? 

If we regarded Nature as impersonal, and the uni- 
verse as a material mechanism, we should find no 
difficulty in it. 

But the moment we see God behind the face of Na- 
ture—the moment we believe that this vast and mar- 
vellous procession of causes and changes is directed and 
controlled by a Supreme, Omniscient, Holy Spirit— 
this apparent indifference becomes incomprehensible 
and impossible. 

It cannot be that God is indifferent. 

It cannot be that he looks down with the same feel- 
ings upon all who move below him, and has an equal 
approbation for the toil of the honest labourer and the 
crafty schemes of the thief. 


( 


You tell me Nature is indifferent. 
220 


I say, Not if God is behind Nature. Evermore he 
loves the good; evermore he hates the evil. 

Why, then, does he not always discriminate in all 
his dealings ? 

I think it is evident that he would teach us to believe 
in his fatherhood in its widest aspect of benignity. 

He would manifest his abounding kindness to all the 
children of men. 

Are we not the offspring of God? 

Yes, every one of us, the lowest as well as the highest. 


He 1s the Father of us all. 


221 


HEAVEN WITHIN 


Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, 
and I shall be whiter than snow.—Psalm 51 : 7. 


This is the true prayer of every soul that knows 
what sin is—to be healed of its hidden disease, to es- 
cape from its secret conflict and misery, to have truth 
and peace in the inward parts. 

If we can only obtain this spiritual healing and 
cleansing, it seems as if we should be able to bear any- 
thing that might come to us as the necessary result of 
our evil deeds. 

Pain, disgrace, disaster, even the literal pangs of fire, 
if there were such a thing in another world, we might 
endure. 

For an outward hell could not burn one whose heart 
had been cleansed, whose spirit had been renewed. 

Such a spirit would carry the water of life and the 
singing angels and the golden city and the eternal 
blessedness within itself, and there is not a corner of 
this wide universe where it could be really cast away 
from the presence of God. 

Let us not pray chiefly that God would let us into 
Heaven, but first that he would send Heaven into us. 


222 


EVOLUTION IN THE BIBLE 


My frame was not hidden from thee when I was made in 
secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the 
earth—Psalm 139 : 15, 


Suppose we could believe the Bible was intended to 
teach science. Would not this verse read in favor of 
the evolutionary hypothesis? 

This being “‘made in secret,” —this curious fashion- 
ing of man’s frame “‘in the lowest parts of the earth,” — 
does not this sound like the development of the human 
body from lower forms, yes, even from the very dust 
of protoplasm ? 

But, mind you, I do not say we are bound to believe 
this. 

The Bible was not given to teach science, but re- 
ligion. 

The method of creation is for scientific men to trace, 
as far as they can. 

The chief duty of man, having a reasonable soul, is 
to glorify and enjoy God, who made him of dust and 
spirit. 

If the evolutionary hypothesis should be proved 
true, it would make this religious duty still more clear 
and binding. 

For the vital law of the soul is upward, not down- 
ward. 


22% 


TAG 


The law of kindness 1s on her tongue.—Proverbs 
31s 26: 


Some people speak of “tact” as if it were an arti- 
ficial accomplishment, rather to be distrusted, and 
perhaps even despised, by those bold and inconsider- 
ate persons whose words are like bombshells and who 
succeed in making everybody around them uncom- 
fortable. 

No doubt this is a dstidigk of a certain kind. 

But is it more admirable than the success of one 
who makes comfort and pleasant feeling around her? 

I knew a lady of the White House whose pees tbe 
was the subject of general admiration. 

She was young, and comparatively inexperienced, 
and men wondered where she had learned it. 

She did not learn it. 

The wish to set people at ease was in her heart; and 
so the law of kindness was on her tongue. 


224 


IN THE DAYS OF THY YOUTH 


Oh, satisfy us in the morning with thy loving kindness, 
that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.—Psalm 


go : 14. 


The words “in the morning,”’ as used here, mean at 
the beginning of life. 

It is a great blessing to know God in childhood, so 
that not a single day need be passed in ignorance of 
his merciful kindness, not a single trial need be borne 
without his help, not a single pleasure need be en- 
joyed as if it were the careless gift of chance or the 
result of our own cleverness. 

It is good to belong to God in the morning, and to 
rejoice in his mercy until the evening. 

Let us be sure that a whole life spent with God is 
better than half a life. 

There is no satisfaction in anything without his 
mercy; therefore seek it at once. 

It is better late than never, but it is far better early 
than late. 


226 


PERILOUS CITIES 


Except the Lord keep the city the watchman waketh 
but in vain.—Psalm 127 : I. 


The striking feature of modern history is the rapid 
growth of great cities. 

Every city needs to be watched, for it is just as truly 
a focus of danger as it is a centre of civilization. 

In old times the city watchmen kept their faces 
turned outward, looking. for a foreign enemy. 

In these times they need to keep their faces turned 
inward, watching the signs of municipal corruption. 

The city gets the best and the worst of mankind. 
Extremes touch. Vices knot and generate in clusters 
like snakes. Large opportunities make big thieves. 

In the confusion of the city selfish greed finds shelter 
for its cruelties, and envious idleness prepares the so- 
cial dynamite with which it would willingly blow up 
the world for the sake of looting among the ruins. 

There are forces of evil beneath us strong enough to 
shatter our civilization into fragments. 

But, at the same time, there are other forces which 
prevent the calamity. 

And I think the strongest of these is the grace of 
God and the power of religion. 

Most of the men you meet in the city crowd would 
like to be good, if only for their children’s sake. 


226 


THE ALMIGHTY 
Power belongeth unto God.—Psalm 62 : 11. 


The sight of power is always wonderful and therefore 
a thing to be desired for its own sake. 

The perception of a mighty force in action, even in 
the physical world, confers a high pleasure on the mind. 

When the force 1s sudden and violent, as in the case 
of a great tempest, our pleasure in beholding it is mixed 
with awe, a solemn and trembling delight. 

But when it is an orderly and beneficent force that 
we behold, then the vision is one of pure and unmingled 
joy. 

How glorious is the sight of a great river sweeping 
down from its source among the mountains to its rest- 
ing-place in the sea! 

The same thing is true of the might of the harnessed 
giant Steam driving a huge engine. 

It is far more true of those forces which are more 
silent and secret, like the heat of the sun, or the force 
of gravitation, seen only in the mind’s eye. 

But it is doubly good to know that it 1s all the power 
of God. 

To understand that all the energy which throbs and 
pulses through the universe, comes from him, that force 
is but the efHuence of his will, and law but the expres- 
sion of his wisdom—is good for the soul. 

We want a powerful God, one who can hold the 
winds and the waves in the hollow of his hand. 

And for our own sake, for the sake of a deeper rever- 
ence and a firmer confidence toward him, we ought to 
wish to see the evidence of divine power in the great 
elemental forces of nature. 


227 


CLEAR SPEECH THE BEST ELOQUENCE 


I had rather speak five words with my understanding, 
that I might instruct others also, than ten thousand words 
in a tongue.—I Corinthians 14 : 19. 


There was a strange phenomenon in the early church 
called “‘the gift of tongues.”’ 

Men spoke in various languages which neither they 
nor their hearers could comprehend. 

This was regarded with awe and admiration. 

St. Paul in the r4th chapter of First Corinthians 
discusses this subject with acuteness and a touch of 
humor, yet reverently. 

But he says quaintly that for his part he would 
rather speak five clear words than ten thousand misty 
ones. 

That is a sensible commendation of clarity as the 
most valuable quality of diction. 

Whether words are spoken or written, their first aim 
should be to express and impart ideas. 

If not, why speak or write? 

Some subjects are mysterious in themselves, and it 
is dificult to make them plain. 

But to wrap thoughts in cloudy language in order to 
make them seem more wonderful is to violate the first 
law of style. 

Yet many reputations for eloquence or fine writing 
are based upon this fault. 

Bombinating orations, obscure books, incomprehen- 
sible reverberating sermons—they are like the Scotch- 
man’s definition of “metapheesics”’: 

“ *Tis when the man that’s talking doesna under- 
stand what he’s saying, and he that’s listening doesna 
understand it either—that’s metapheesics !” 


228 


TABLE MANNERS 


Better is a dry morsel, and quietness therewith, than a 
house full of feasting and strife-—Proverbs 17 : I. 


This bit of advice fits in with what the doctors tell 
us of the value of good humor as an aid to digestion. 

We should think less about what we eat, and more 
about our company at the table. 

Good fellowship and friendly conversation make a 
fine dressing for the simplest salad of herbs. 

I knew a lady—the mistress of Yaddo—who used to 
prepare topics for a dinner party as carefully as she 
arranged the food and drink. 

We always had lively talk, but no scandal and no 
strife. 

Even a solitary meal in the wilderness may be en- 
joyable if you take it beside a little friendship fire, 
with good memories for company. 

This is one reason for restoring the old custom of 
“‘srace before meat” which Charles Lamb commended. 

If it be short enough, it tends to peace and a quiet 
mind. 


229 


TWO KINDS OF VANITY 


Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit 
before a fall_—Proverbs 16 : 18. 


There is a beautiful irony in this little procession— 
a pompous drum-major followed by a ridiculous band, 
a boastful beginning and an absurd ending. 

There are two figures in the procession. The second 
clause of the proverb is not a mere repetition of the 
first. 

Pride is open and wears a glittering uniform. 

But a haughty spirit may be secret and disguise it- 
self in mean clothes. 

The haughtiest man I ever knew was an ignorant 
person who was always talking about his own humil- 
ity and his neighbor’s vanity. 

To the braggart comes the visible failure, which may 
do him good. 

But the secretly self-satisfied man gets no benefit 
from his many falls. 

He is incurably wise in his own conceit. 

He goes on boasting of his modesty and sneering at 
all who know more than he does. 

Uriah Heep is his model. 


The lower he tumbles the more he admires himself. 


230 


THE FOUNDATION OF PEACE 


The work of righteousness shall be peace.—Isaiah 
SOCAL. 


The wise and upright of heart in all nations are now 
studying how to secure the peace of mankind. 

The horrible memory of the last great war, and the 
lurid fear of the next, urge on that study as with men- 
tal whips of scorpions. 

A generous American offers a prize of $100,000 for 
the best plan of world peace. 

But the rewards of success will be far greater than 
that, and they will be given to all. 

There is only one basis upon which a working plan 
can be built. 

The sense of justice which is innate in the majority 
of men must be reasonably satisfied. 

Until that 1s done, we shall have resentments and 
fears, tumults and perturbations, wars and rumors of 
war. 

I say ‘“‘reasonably satisfied,’ because there is small 
hope that it can be completely, perfectly satisfied 
while human nature remains as badly mixed as it is 
now. 

But when the nations unite their good intentions, and 
when the majority of men are convinced that govern- 
ments are really working towards righteousness, then we 
shall have a solid foundation for peace. 

But you have got to “show them,” as they say in 
Missouri. 


251 


THE MIRACLE OF HUMAN INTERCOURSE 


As aman speaketh unto his friend —Exodus 33 : 11. 


There are two kinds of miracles, the extraordinary 
and the daily. 

About the extraordinary kind there is considerable 
dispute as to whether they really occur and what they 
really mean. 

About the daily kind +here is no dispute because 
hardly anybody notices them or thinks of their mean- 
ing. 

Conversation between two human beings is a daily 
miracle. 

How is it that these persons, separate in space and 
hidden from each other by their bodies, can exchange 
thoughts, ideas, purposes, desires? 

Very simple, you say, because they have language, 
gesture, expressiveness of eyes and face. 

Yes, but where and how did they get these wondrous 
things? 

The very power to invent and develop language 
looks to me like a heavenly gift. 

The deep inward thoughts and affections, so differ- 
ent from animal instincts, come from a source above 
Nature, an unseen world. 

I have had talks with a friend, so sweet, so liberat- 
ing, so revealing that they made me sure of God and 
the soul. | 

Is not this the meaning of miracle, a sign of the Di- 
vine Presence and a world beyond our sight? 


232 


THE WISH FOR HAPPINESS 


If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.— 
Johnner3* 17: 


Let me talk of happiness for the next six days— 
only one minute a day. 

The wish for happiness is natural; all men share it. 

It is the law of life itself that every being strives 
toward the perfection of its kind. 

Every drop of sap in the tree flows toward foliage 
and fruit. 

Every drop of blood in the bird beats toward flight 
and song. 

In a conscious being this movement toward perfec- 
tion must take a conscious form. 

This conscious form is happiness, the rhythm of the 
inward life, the melody of a heart that has found its 
keynote. 

To say that all men long for this is simply to confess 
that all men are human, and that their thoughts and 
feelings are an essential part of their life. 

Virtue means a completed manhood. The joyful 
welfare of the soul belongs to the fulness of that ideal. 
Holiness is wholeness. 

In striving to realize the true aim of our being, we 
find the wish for happiness implanted in the very heart 
of our effort. 

Christ alone can teach us how to attain it. 


233 


THE PROMISE OF HAPPINESS 
That your joy may be made full—John 16 : 24. 


It is a mistake to say with Goethe that Jesus came 
only to teach us that “religion is renunciation.”’ 

He does indeed tell us that we must renounce some 
things. But it is in order that we may obtain a great 
reward in our souls. 

Christ never asks us to give up merely for the sake 
of giving up, but always in order to win something 
better. 

He comes not to destroy, but to fulfil—to fill full— 
to replenish life with true, inward, lasting joy. 

His gospel is a message of satisfaction, of attain- 
ment, of felicity. 

Its voice is not a sigh, but a song. 

Its final word is a benediction, a good-saying. 

“These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy 
might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.” 


234 


THE TEACHER OF HAPPINESS 
Blessed are—(nine times).—Matthew 5 : 3-11. 


The Sermon on the Mount is a sermon on happiness 
—not outward, but inward. 

Unrest and ‘‘that tired feeling’’; discontent and dis- 
appointment; the fever of passion and the chill of de- 
spair are the very things Christ comes to cure. 

So he begins his great discourse with a series of 
Beatitudes. 

“‘Blessed” is the word. 

“Happy” is the meaning. 

Nine times he rings the changes on that word. 

It is like a silver bell sounding from his open-air 
temple on the hillside, calling all who long for happi- 
ness to come to him and find rest for their souls. 

No persecution, nor reproach, nor outward harm of 
any kind can frighten that happiness away. 

It is a bird from heaven making its nest and abiding 
place in the heart. 


235 


THE SECRET OF HAPPINESS 


That they may have my joy made full in themselves.— 
Hohner 7): 13. 


Earthly happiness, the pleasure that comes from 
without through the senses, may be pure; but it is 
never perfect, and it does not last. 

Happiness on earth, spiritual joy and peace, satisfies 
us now, and has the promise of immortality. 

The secret of it is fourfold. . 

It does not depend on what we have, but on what 
we are. 

It is not found by direct seeking, but by setting our 
faces toward the things from which it flows. 

We must climb the mount if we would see the vision, 
we must tune the instrument if we would hear the 
music. 

It is not solitary, but social. 

We can never have it without sharing it with others. 

It is the result of God’s will for us, and not of our 
will for ourselves; and so we can only find it by giving 
our lives to his control. 


236 


THE DUTY OF HAPPINESS 


Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him for- 
ever.—The Shorter Catechism, Quest. 1. 


Some professing Christians are among the most de- 
pressing and worryful people in the world—the most 
dificult to live with. 

And some, indeed, have adopted a theory of ethics 
which puts a special value upon unhappiness. 

The morbid spirit which mistrusts every joyful feel- 
ing, and depreciates every cheerful virtue, and looks 
askance upon every happy life as if there must be 
something wrong about it, is a departure from Christ’s 
teaching to follow the dark-browed philosophy of the 
Orient. 

Jesus tells us that cheerful religion is the best. 

It is fine to do right against inclination. 

But there is something finer, and that is to have an 
inclination to do right. 

There is something nobler than reluctant obedience; 
and that is joyful obedience. 

The rank of virtue is not measured by its disagree- 
ableness, but by its sweetness to the heart that loves it. 

The real test of character is joy. 

For what you rejoice in, that you love. 

And what you love, that you grow like. 


237 


THE BEAUTY OF HAPPINESS 
Again I will say, Rejoice.—Philippians 4 : 4. 


The first thing that commended the church of Jesus 
to the weary and disheartened world in the early years 
of her triumph, was her power to make her children 
happy—happy in the midst of afflictions, happy in the 
sense of Divine Fatherhood and human brotherhood, 
happy in Christ’s victory over sin and death, happy in 
the assurance of endless life. 

At midnight in the prison, Paul and Silas sang 
praises, and the prisoners heard them. 

The lateral force of joy—that was the power of the 
church. 

Was not St. Paul a happier man than Herod? 

Did not St. Peter have more joy of his life than 
Nero? 

It is said of the first disciples that they “did eat 
their meat with gladness and singleness of heart.” 

Not till that pristine gladness returns will the church 
regain her early charm for the souls of men. 

Every great revival of Christian power—like those 
which came in the times of St. Francis of Assisi and of 
John Wesley—has been marked by a revival of Chris- 
tian joy. 


238 


YIELD GRACEFULLY OR NOT AT ALL 


Now as touching the brother Apollos I besought him 
much to come to you with the brethren: and 1t was not at 
all his will to come now; but he will come when he shall 
have opportunity.—I Corinthians 16 : 12. 


St. Paul wanted Apollos to go on a mission to Cor- 
inth. But Apollos was not at all willing to go. 

So Paul yielded gracefully about the immediate mis- 
sion. And Apollos promised generously that he would 
go at the first opportunity. 

Was not this a pretty way to settle, or rather to 
prevent, a quarrel rising from a clash of wills? 

Observe, Paul says nothing about his reasons for 
wishing Apollos to go, or Apollos’ reasons for wishing 
to stay. 

He does not say that he was right and the other man 
wrong. 

He does not revive the difference or repeat the con- 
troversy. 

He merely says that he gave way, and adds that 
Apollos will come later, as if to assure the Corinthians 
that Apollos is not unfriendly. 

In a dispute which can be settled only by one will 
yielding to another, do not make the concession grudg- 
ingly, for that will leave a grudge. 

Do not repeat the discussion to your neighbors, for 
that may leave a feud. 

Above all if it turns out that you were right, do not 
say, “I told you so.” 

Let the other man find that out for himself. 

To yield gracefully is the only way to get the good 
of yielding. 


239 


JOYFUL FAITH 


Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous.—Psalm 
32 Natt ¢ 


It is said that a friend once asked the great com- 
poser Haydn why his church music was always so full 
of gladness. 

He answered: 

“T cannot make it otherwise. 

“T write according to the thoughts I feel. 

“When I think upon my God, my heart is so full of 
joy that the notes dance and leap from my pen. 

“And since God has given me a cheerful heart, it 
will be pardoned me that I serve him with a cheerful 
spirit.” 

Pardoned ? 

Nay, it will be praised and rewarded. 

One glad Christian is worth more than a hundred 
gloom-casters. 

He is more reasonable and more useful. 


240 


IN MIND BE MEN 


In malice be ye babes, but in mind be men.—I Corinthi- 
ans 14 : 20. 


Childlikeness is a fine thing in a man, but childish- 
ness is both ludicrous and dangerous. 

To be joyful of heart, eager, hopeful, sympathetic, 
like a healthy child, without guile or malice, is to be- 
long to the kingdom of heaven. 

Christ says so. 

But to have a childish mind when we are grown up, 
is to neglect the gift of reason and the power of men- 
tal advance which God has bestowed upon us. 

A manly mind is firm but not fixed. 

It is ready to hear new evidence, to welcome more 
light. 

It is eager to learn by experience, and not afraid of 
any truth that God has written in the Holy Scripture, 
or in the book of nature. 

“Show me,” it cries, “and I will obey, with my 
reason as well as with my heart.” 

Reasonable interpretation (says St. Paul in this 
chapter), preaching that can be understood, is a fine 
thing. 

Jesus does not ask us to lay aside our reason or to 
shut our eyes to facts, but simply to deny ourselves 
and follow him. 

Even childish minds may do this. 

But his best followers are those who by their growth 
have learned to put away childish things and in mind 
be men. 


241 


THE CURSER ASKS FOR A BLESSING 
Let them curse, but bless thou.—Psalm tog : 28. 


This is from one of the most curious chapters of the 
Bible. 

The psalmist begins with a series of curses, ferocious, 
ingenious, and comprehensive. 

He curses the enemy who has spoken of him with a 
lying tongue. 

Then he goes on to curse that enemy’s father and 
mother, his wife, and his innocent children. 

“Let his children be vagabonds and beg; 
neither let there be any to have pity on his fatherless 
children.” 

The force of hatred could no farther go. 

It is like a blind madman, striking with his knife at 
every one he touches. 

Then, strangely enough, this pious lunatic turns 
round, falls on his knees, and says: 

“O Jehovah, my enemies are awful cursers, but will 
you please bless me?” 

No need to say, this psalm is not Christian. 

Have we ever met a man like this? 

Have we ever asked God for mercy that we would 
not show to others? 


* * * 


242 


WILL YOU OR WON’T YOU BE CHOSEN? 
Many are called, but few chosen.—Matthew 22 : 14. 


Some men are troubled by the doctrine of election, 
or predestination, or foreordination, or whatever you 
prefer to call it. 

They quote this word of Christ, and then say to 
themselves: 

“If I am chosen I shall be certain to come, but if I 
am not chosen there is no use in coming, therefore the 
only thing to do is to wait and see.” 

This way of taking the doctrine of election makes 
God a liar. 

When Christ says, ‘“‘Come unto me all ye that la- 
bor,”’ he means it. | 

Men do not act in this silly way about anything else 
in life except religion. 

They do not say, “If I am to be married, I shall be 
married; if | am to be well, I shall be well; if I am to 
go to New York, I shall inevitably find myself there.” 

If these are things that they want, they do some- 
thing to attain them. They get busy about them. 

Does not this apply to religion? 

God has chosen all who repent and believe and try 
to be good. Fulfil the conditions and you are sure of 
the choice. 

Read the words, “‘ Many are called, but few chosen,” 
in the light of the parable from which they are taken. 

There were hundreds of guests at the Marriage 
Feast, but only one was cast out. 

And that was because he would not put on the wed- 
ding garment provided. 


243 


THE BEAUTY OF HOLINESS 


Strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.—Psalm 


96 : 6. 


Keats was undoubtedly right in his suggestion that 
the poet must always see truth in the form of beauty. 

Otherwise he may be a philosopher, or a critic or a 
moralist, but he is not a true poet. 

But we must go on from this standpoint to the pla- 
tonic doctrine that the highest form of beauty is spir- 
itual and ethical. 

It is the harmony of the soul with the eternal music 
of the Good. 

And the highest poets are those who are most ar- 
dently enamored of righteousness. 

This fills their songs with sweetness and fire incom- 
parable and immortal: 

“The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever; 

The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous 
altogether. 

More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much 
fine gold: 

Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.” 
That which is ugly is not wholly holy. 


244 


A PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE 


For now we see in a mirror, darkly, but then face to 
face: now I know in part; but then shall I know fully. 
—I Corinthians 13 : 12. 


Can a philosophy of life be outlined in two hundred 
words? 

Let me try. 

The world of matter and spirit is the work of an 
omnipotent, wise, loving Creator. 

In the natural world law reigns inflexibly; in the 
spiritual world there is freedom, in order that there 
may be other spirits who choose to answer God’s love 
and obey his wisdom. 

By a wrong choice man has fallen under the power 
of evil and so become separated from God, and con- 
scious of sin as no other creature is. 

God loving man in spite of sin, reveals himself to 
those who seek him; chooses the wise and good to make 
his ways known on earth; enlightens them by his 
Spirit; and finally sends his own Son, the eternal Word 
or Reason, to become true man in the person of Jesus 
Christ, and to live and suffer with and for men, thus 
redeeming the world. 

This redemption covers all who desire it and wait 
for it, as well as those who know it: the desire and the 
knowledge are proved by the effort to do good. 

The mingled conflicts, trials, sorrows, labors, and joys 
of mortal life are a school to prepare the souls who 
seek God for his gift of immortality. 

This seems to me a reasonable view of life for one 
who knows in part. 

It leaves mysteries, but it satisfies our innermost 
conviction that we are somewhat more than dust, and 


245 


oa 
our Creator someone greater than blind chance, and 


our destiny, if we will have it so, something better a 
than extinction. 


fae | 


246 ay 





THE NEW WITCHCRAFT 
Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live-—Exodus 22 : 18. 


This was the text by which our forefathers in Eng- 
land and New England foolishly tried to justify the 
persecution and killing of supposed witches in the 17th 
and 18th centuries. 

The latest execution of this kind in Great Britain 
was in 1722. 

But witchcraft, the practice of sorcery, magic, and 
necromancy, was not thereby suppressed. 

It has existed in every age known to man; and in 
our own it seems to be flourishing with exuberance. 

Its name is changed, but not its nature. 

In every city you may see the signs of the practi- 
tioners of the ancient profession. 

They call themselves clairvoyants, psychic medi- 
ums, telepaths, soul-analysts, metaphysical seers, and 
even psychologists—as if their craft were a real science 
and not a black art. 

I do not include here those people who are earnestly 
and reverently seeking and testing evidence of exist- 
ence after death. I include those who for pay profess 
to reveal the future, foretell destiny, discover hidden 
secrets, and call up departed spirits. 

These are the new witches. 

The old command, Thou shalt not suffer them to 
live, is out of date. 

The new command should be, Thou shalt not help 
them to make a living. 

I think that would put the modern Witch of Endor 
out of business. 


247 


THE GOSPEL OF ANOTHER CHANCE 


And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven, * * * thy 
faith hath saved thee, go in peace.—Luke 7 : 48, 50. 


This unfortunate woman thought her life was ruined, 
and so did everybody else but One in the Pharisee’s 
house where she had crept in to weep at Jesus’ feet. 

But Jesus said, Not so; your great love shows your 
many sins are forgiven; you have a new hope; go in 
peace! 

Christianity is the gospel of another chance. 

Though you have tried, trusting in yourself, and 
failed and fallen often, all is not lost. 

Try again, trusting in the Divine mercy and power, 
and God will bring you through. 

If you can still be sorry, you are not hopeless; and if 
you know your own weakness, you can obtain strength 
from heaven. 

Do not give up, but look up. 

If men are bidden to forgive even unto seventy times 
seven, shall not God do more? 

Forgiveness means the opening of a closed door. 

This good news lies at the very heart of the Chris- 
tian religion; and when the Church proclaims it as 
simply as Jesus told it to the fallen woman, then the 
pristine power of the Church will be regained. 


248 


WASTEFULNESS IS MEANNESS 


And when they were filled he saith unto his disciples, 
Gather up the broken pieces which remain over, that noth- 
ing be lost.—John 6 : 12. 


Christ was not miserly. 

He loved the generous impulse which gives without 
too closely counting the cost. 

When Mary of Bethany brought her alabaster cruse 
of very precious ointment and poured it on his head as 
he sat at meat, the disciples blamed her for extrava- 
gance. 

But Christ approved and blessed her because she 
had done a good deed with a loving purpose. 

Yet evidently in the little affairs of life Christ had a 
saving mind—a touch of the Martha spirit. 

After the multitudes were fed by his bounty he was 
anxious that nothing left over should be wasted. 

Waste is not generosity. 

It is a form of meanness—the waster is really nig- 
gardly of his thought and care. 

Americans are the most wasteful people in the world. 

It is easier to obtain a great gift for charity than to 
find people to administer it economically. 

We throw into the garbage can what would feed a 
multitude. 

We combust our forests and pollute our waters as if 
we thought God would not mind creating another new 
continent to-morrow for such a generous and wasteful 
race. 


249 


THE HIGH COST OF PRIDE 


A man’s pride shall bring him low, but he that 1s of a 
lowly spirit shall obtain honor.—Proverbs 29 : 23. 


There is no fault more expensive than pride. 

It forfeits favor and wins dislike. 

Other men resent a neighbor’s self-complacency be- 
cause it interferes with their own. . 

Whatever just claims he may have to merit are dis- 
counted by a too evident sense of it. 

If he really has no claim at all, or but a very small 
one, a haughty spirit exposes the nakedness of his 
defects. 

Pride increases the power of little slights to give us 
pain, and lessens the power of real approval to give us 
pleasure. 

It is never satisfied with the applause. 

Someone in the front row did not clap—someone in 
the gallery did not cheer—why was that? 

Were they sneering secretly? 

Pride enlarges our assets in imagination, but di- 
minishes them in reality. 

The man who thinks too much of himself has less 
thought and force to give to his work. 

Let us consider the High Cost of Pride. 

Is it worth the price? 


250 


HARD LUCK FOR FATHERS 


He that begetteth a fool doeth it to his own sorrow; and 
the father of a fool hath no joy.—Proverbs 17 : 21. 


We know that the sins of parents are sometimes 
visited on the children. 

How about the folly of children that is sometimes 
visited on the parents? 

How about Eli’s wicked sons, and Solomon’s degen- 
erate offspring, and King Lear’s ungrateful daughters ? 

Such things occur in the world, and they are full of 
misery. 

I knew a celebrated preacher years ago whose sons 
were either cranks or crooked. 

Every one of them gave the old man trouble. 

There was no health in them. 

Yet as a rule, fool-sons are not begotten. 

They are made—by neglect, by pampering, or, worst 
of all, by some hidden unfairness or hypocrisy on the 
parents’ part. 

They are not so much a bit of hard luck as they are 
a penalty for misconduct. 

But what son, however foolish, can really like to be 
nothing but a penalty? 


25% 


DO YOUR WORK CHEERFULLY 
A cheerful heart 1s good medicine.—Proverbs 17 : 22. 


Good humor is one of the prerequisites of sound 
judgment. 

I have seen needful work done by men in excite- 
ment and an ill temper, but never truth discovered nor 
creative things accomplished. 

My old gardener used to swear horribly when he 
was rooting out poison-ivy. But when he was studying 
how to make flowers or vegetables grow better, he was 
in a friendly mood—whistling or singing. 

When our resentment at the wrong things in life 
outweighs our joy in the right things, our minds are 
darkened and our power is hampered. 

If you cannot entirely eliminate anger, make it as 
brief as possible. 

“Let not the sun go down upon your wrath.” 

But prolong your happier thoughts, your gratitudes, 
your admirations, your affections. 

They will make you wiser, steadier, healthier, 
stronger. 


252 


THREE ASPECTS OF ONE LIFE 
Thou wilt show me the path of lufe-—Psalm 16 : 11. 


There are three ways in which we may look at our 
life, depending upon the point of view from which we 
regard human existence. 

When we think of it as a work, the question is: 

“What do we desire to accomplish ?”’ 

When we think of it as a growth, a development, a 
personal unfolding, the question is: 

“What do we desire to become ?” 

When we think of it as an experience, a destiny, the 
question is: 

“What do we desire to become of us?” 

Do not imagine for an instant that these questions 
can be really separated. 

They are interwoven. 

They cross each other from end to end of the web of 
life. 

The answer to one question determines the answer 
to the others. 

We cannot divide our work from ourselves nor iso- 
late our future from our qualities. 

A ship might as well try to sail north with her jib, 
and east with her foresail, and south with her main- 
sail, as a man to go one way in conduct, and another 
way in character, and another way in destiny. 

What we do belongs to what we are; and what we 
are is what becomes of us. 


253 


THE PRACTICAL TEST OF ORTHODOXY 


By their fruits ye shall know them.—Matthew 7 : 16. 


What have you done, what are you going to do, for 
the fruitful side of human life? 

What contribution are you going to give of your 
strength, your time, your influence, your money, your 
self, to make a cleaner, fuller, happier, larger, nobler 
life possible for some of your fellowmen? 

I do not ask how you are going to do it. 

You may do it in business, in the law, in medicine, 
in the ministry, in teaching, in literature. 

But this is the question: 

“What are you going to give personally to make the 
human life of the place where you do your work purer, 
stronger, brighter, better, and more worth living?” 

That will be your best part in the warfare against 
evil. 

That will be the test of your soundness in the faith. 


254 


EFFICIENT FOES OF INTEMPERANCE 
Empty, swept, and garnished.—St. Matthew 12 : 44. 


There are evil spirits which take possession of idle 
men. 

Let intemperance be the type of them all, because 
so many of the others are its children. 

Drunkenness. ruins more homes and wrecks more 
lives than war. 

How shall we oppose it? 

I do not say that we shall not pass resolutions and 
make laws against it. 

But I do say that we can never really conquer the 
evil in this way. 

I hold with Phillips Brooks that “all prohibitory 
measures are negative. That they have their uses no 
one can doubt. That they have their limits is just as 
clear.” 

The stronghold of intemperance lies in the vacancy 
and despair of men’s minds. 

The way to attack it is to make the sober life beau- 
tiful and happy and full of interest. 

Make the life of your community cheerful and pleas- 
ant and interesting, if you want to take away the 
power of the gilded saloon and the grimy boozing-ken. 

Parks and playgrounds, libraries and music rooms, 
clean homes and cheerful churches—these are the ef- 
ficient foes of intemperance. 


255 


THE LIBERAL VISION 


And a voice came unto him again the second time, 
What God hath cleansed make not thou common.—Acts 
TO nse 


This was the dream of St. Peter, hungry on the 
housetop in Joppa:—a great sheet let down from 
heaven, full of all manner of flesh, fish and fowl, and 
the divine command, “Rise Peter; kill and eat.” 

It was a sign of the falling of that wall which had 
divided the Jews from the Gentiles mainly on the 
ground of the kind of food they ate. 

Peter objected because he was conservative. 

But the inward voice told him that conservatism of 
that type was opposition to the Divine Will. 

“God fulfils himself in many ways, 

Lest one good custom should corrupt the world.” 

Peter’s dream is a moving picture illustration of the 
word of Christ: 

“Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to 
the whole creation.” 

This dream is a proclamation of liberty from those 
faddish rules, like vegetarianism, which judge a man by 
what enters into his mouth rather than by what pro- 
ceedeth out of his heart. 

To this day, they profess to show in Joppa the very 
housetop where St. Peter had his dream. 

But other men have had the same dream, in other 
places—the liberal vision. 


256 


FORCE, A TEMPORARY PROTECTION 


An avenger for wrath to him that doeth eoil.—Romans 
(37 4: 


The suppression of evil by force is only a temporary 
relief, a protection for the moment. 

It does not touch the root of the matter. 

You send the murderer out of the world by a regu- 
lated flash of lightning. 

But you do not send murder out of the world. 

To do that you must reach and change the heart of 
Cain. 

You put the thief in prison, but when he comes out 
he will be ready to steal again unless you can purify 
his conscience and control his will. 

You overthrow some bad system of misgovernment, 
and “turn the rascals out.” 

But unless you have something better to substitute, 
all you have done is to make room for a new set of 
rascals—a new swarm of mosquitoes with fresh appe- 
tites and larger capacities. 


257 


TRUTH WINS ITS WAY 
Preach the word.—I1 Timothy 4 : 2. 


False doctrines are never argued out of the world. 

They are pushed back by the incoming of the truth, 
as the darkness is pushed back by the dawn. 

Phillips Brooks was right. It is not worth while to 
cross the street to break a man’s idol. It is worth while 
to cross the ocean to tell him about God. 

The skillful fencer who attacks your doubts and 
drives you from corner to corner of unbelief and leaves 
you at last in doubt whether you doubt or not, does 
you a certain service. 

He gives you exercise, takes the conceit out of you. 

But the man who lays hold of the real faith that is 
hidden underneath your doubt—the silent longing for 
God and goodness, the secret attraction that draws 
your heart toward Jesus Christ as the only one who 
has the words of everlasting life—the man who takes 
hold of this buried faith and quickens it and makes you 
dare to try to live by it—that is the man who helps 
you indeed. 


258 


THE AIM OF OUR LIFE WORK 


What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he 
laboreth ?—Ecclesiastes 3 : 9. 


I am quite sure that a great deal of the confusion 
and perplexity of youth, and a great deal of the rest- 
lessness and fickleness which older people often criti- 
cize so severely and so unjustly, come from the attempt 
to choose an occupation in life before the greater ques- 
tion of the real object of our life work has been fairly 
faced and settled. 

“What are you going zo do when you grow up?” 

This is the favorite conundrum which the kind aunts 
and uncles put to the boys when they come home from 
school. 

And of late they are beginning to put it to the girls 
also, since it has been reluctantly admitted that a girl 
may rightly have something to say about what she 
would like to do in the world. 

But how is it possible to make anything more than a 
blind guess at the answer, unless the boy or the girl 
has some idea of the end which is to be worked for. 

To choose a trade, a business, a profession, without 
knowing what kind of a result you want to get out of 
your labor, is to set sail in the dark: 

It is to have a course, but no haven; an employment, 
but no vocation. 

I would ask a boy or a girl first, What are you going 
to work for? Then, What kind of work do you think 


will accomplish your purpose? 


259 


TWO KINDS OF PLEASURE SEEKING 


In thy right hand are pleasures forevermore.—Psalm 
16:11. Lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.— 
II Timothy 3 : 4. 


Pleasure is a word which has a double meaning. 

It may mean the satisfaction of all the normal de- 
sires of our manhood in their due proportion. 

In this sense it is a high and noble end. 

There is a pleasure in the intelligent exercise of all 
our faculties, in the friendship of nature, in the percep- 
tion of truth, in the generosity of love, in the achieve- 
ments of heroism, in the deeds of beneficence, in the 
triumphs of self-sacrifice. 

But pleasure as we commonly speak of it means 
something very different from this. 

It denotes the immediate gratification of our phys- 
ical senses and appetites and inclinations. 

When we make the reception of agreeable sensations 
the chief end and motive of our action, when we direct 
our will and our effort to the attainment of this end, 
then we enter upon a pleasure-seeking life. 

We make that which should be our servant to re- 
fresh and cheer us, our master to direct and rule and 
drive us. 

A pleasure-seeking life, in this sense, is one which 
has no real end or goal outside of itself. 

Its aim is unreal and transitory, a passing thrill in 
nerves that decay, an experience that leads nowhere, 
and leaves nothing behind it. 

Robert Burns knew the truth of what he wrote: 

“But pleasures are like poppies spread, 
You seize the flower, the bloom is shed!” 


260 


KEEP ON PRAYING 


He spake a parable unto them, to the end that they 
ought always to pray and not to faint.—Luke 18 : 1. 


Let us not be deceived into exchanging Christianity 
for a cold philosophy about God and destiny. 

Let no one persuade us that our religion can possibly 
survive without prayer. 

For the essence of the Bible is that there is a prayer- 
hearing and a prayer-answering God. 

His servants have ever turned to him in the day of 
their need, and he has wrought great deliverance for 
them. 

Not always in the way that they have expected, for 
that would be to make the Divine wisdom subject to 
human ignorance. 

But always in such a way as to give them the sub- 
stance of his mercy, and to prove that an earnest, faith- 
ful prayer has never been offered without bringing 
down a blessing. 


261 


WHICH WAY ARE WE MOVING? 
Strangers and pilgrims on the earth—Hebrews 11 : 13. 


Wherever you are, and whoever you may be, there 
is one thing in which you and [J are just alike, at this 
moment, and in all the moments of our existence. 

We are not at rest; we are on a journey. 

Our life is not a mere fact; it is a movement, a ten- 
dency, a steady, ceaseless progress toward an unseen 
goal. 

We are gaining something, or losing something, every 
day. 

Even when our position and our character seem to 
remain precisely the same, they are changing. 

For the mere advance of time is a change. 

It is not the same thing to have a bare field in Janu- 
ary and in July. The season makes the difference. 

The limitations that are childlike in the child are 
childish in the man. 

Everything that we do is a step in one direction or 
another. 

Even the failure to do something is in itself a deed. 

It sets us forward or backward. 

The action of the negative pole of a magnet is just 
as real as the action of the positive. 

To decline is to accept—the other alternative. 

Are you richer to-day than you were yesterday? 

No? ‘Then you are a little poorer. 

Are you better to-day than you were yesterday ? 

No? Then you are a little worse. 

Are you nearer to your port to-day than you were 
yesterday? 

Yes—you must be a little nearer to some port or 
other; for since your ship was first launched upon the 


262 


sea of life, you have never been still for a single mo- 
ment; the sea is too deep, you could not find an anchor- 


age if you would; there can be no pause until you come 
into port. 


263 


GOD’S TRUTHFULNESS 
God, that cannot le.—Titus 1 : 2. 


What is posstble with man is impossible with God. 

He cannot lie. 

And you remember at once a number of other places 
in the Bible where the same doctrine is taught. 

The bedrock of the Bible is the truthfulness of God. 

So we ought to remember that his warnings against 
sin are true. 

They are not mere threats for the purpose of terri- 
fying man. 

They are sincere and honest statements of what will 
come, and must come, upon those who die in their sins, 
impenitent and unforgiven. 

It is strange, and yet there surely is a reason in it, 
that the most solemn and awful of these declarations 
came from the lips of him who was love incarnate. 

Not in wrath, not in loud and angry words, swept by 
passion beyond the bounds of truth, but with a divine 
gentleness and with that serious calm which is the very 
air of sincerity, Jesus foretells the future of those who 
do not obtain the mercy of God and show mercy to 
their fellowmen. 

But there is another thing more important still for 
us to remember, and that is that all God’s promises of 
life and salvation through Jesus Christ are true. 

“Whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish, but 
have everlasting life.” 

“Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast 
out.” 

“Whosoever will, let him come.” 


264. 


EVIDENCES OF CHRISTIANITY 


He that hath clean hands and a pure heart.—Psalm 
Am AY 


An honest, earnest, true heart; a hand that will not 
stain itself with unjust gain, or hold an unequal balance, 
or sign a deceitful letter, or draw an unfair contract; 
a tongue that will not twist itself to a falsehood or take 
up an evil report; a soul that points as true as a com- 
pass to the highest ideal of manhood or womanhood— 
these are the marks and qualities of God’s people 
everywhere. 

And when these qualities are exalted and manifested, 
when a Christian means one whose word is his bond, 
who can be trusted with untold treasure without fear 
of his stealing, whose praise is an honor and whose 
friendship is a jewel of priceless value; one who does his 
duty toward his fellowmen as a service to his God; one 
whom you can more certainly trust to paint your house, 
or make your clothes, or draw your will, or take care 
of the health of your family, because he is a Christian; 
one whose outward integrity is the proof of inward 
purity—then the church will have great praise and 
large triumph. 


265 


HERESY TRIALS 


Foolish and ignorant questionings refuse, knowing 
that they gender strifes —II Timothy 2 : 23. 


I hate heresy trials. 

Most of them originate in envy, malice, and un- 
charitableness. 

Some of them beget new heresies. 

None of them lend any new strength to the truth 
or give any new impulse to the practise of religion. 

So far as I know, there is no trial for heresy recorded 
in the New Testament. 

But there were trials for dishonesty and un-Christian 
conduct and bad behavior. 

These are the real heresies. 

Even the apostles differed in their opinions and in 
their ways of stating them. 

St. Paul might have called St. James heretical. 

But he never did—because they both loved and fol- 
lowed Christ. 


266 


HOLLOW FAME 
Forgotten as a dead man out of mind.—Psalm 31 : 12. 


What shall we say of fame as the chief end of 
life ? 

Here, again, we must be careful to discriminate be- 
tween the thing itself and other things which are often 
confused with it. 

Fame is simply what our fellow men think and say 
of us. 

It may be world-wide; it may only reach to a single 
country or city; it may be confined to a narrow circle 
of society. 

Translated in one way, fame is glory; translated in 
another way, it is merely notoriety. 

It is a thing which exists, of course; for the thoughts 
of other people about us are just as actual as our 
thoughts about ourselves, or the real character and 
conduct with which those thoughts are concerned. 

But the three things do not always correspond. 

Consider what hollow fame is worth. 

It may be good or bad, flattering or painfully truth- 
ful. 

People are celebrated sometimes for their vices, 
sometimes for their follies. 

Anything out of the ordinary line will attract notice. 

Notoriety may be purchased by a colossal extrava- 
gance or a monumental absurdity. 

A person has been made notorious simply by show- 
ing himself “more kinds of a fool” than anyone else in 
the community. 

To be governed in our course of life by a timorous 
consideration of what the world will think of us, is to 
be even lighter and more fickle than a weathercock. 


267 


It is to be blown about by winds so small and slight 
that they could not even lift a straw outside of our 
own imagination. 


268 


HOW BROAD IS YOUR RELIGION? 


Think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham 
to our father: for I say unto you that God 1s able of these 
stones to raise up children unto Abraham.—Matthew 


3 +9. 


Christ was a liberal; and that is why the scribes and 
Pharisees hated him and had him crucified. 

The false conception of the Hebrew religion was al- 
ways trying to confine its joys and blessings to a strict 
line; as if the favor of God were entailed, and none 
could boast of it save those who had Abraham to their 
father. 

This was the keynote of that bigoted Pharisaic the- 
ology against which Jesus Christ clashed when he 
came to proclaim the broader Fatherhood of God. 

It was this perverted idea which made the scribes 
and lawyers rave, when he said that there were many 
widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, but unto none 
of them was he sent, but only to the widow of pagan 
Sarepta; and there were many lepers in Israel, but none 
of them was healed save Naaman the Syrian. 

This seemed to them the rankest heresy. 

But indeed it was the same truth which had been 
declared to Adam, and again to Abraham in whose 
seed all nations should be blessed, and again to Moses 
when God said, “All the earth is mine,” and again by 
David and his people when they sang of the world- 
wide dominion of Jehovah—the same truth which was 
stated by Peter when he declared: 

“In every nation he that feareth God and worketh 
righteousness is accepted with Him.” 


269 


THE DOOR TO HAPPINESS 


I am the door: by me tf any man enter in, he shall be 
saved, and shall go 1n and out, and find pasture-—John 
10:9. 


Through Christ our best activities, our noblest pow- 
ers of effort and achievement, go out into liberty. 

Let us frankly admit that the Christian life has its 
restrictions, its limitations, its constraints. 

It does impose a barrier between the heart and some 
of its desires. 

It involves sacrifice, resignation, giving up. 

But tell me one thing that you would have to resign 
if you accepted Christ, and I will tell you that with- 
out that thing you would be far purer, stronger, hap- 
pier, better fitted to live than you are to-day. 

If you give it up, if you leave it behind you and enter 
into salvation through Christ the door, you will find 
that same door open before you to activities that are 
unspeakably nobler, pleasures that are infinitely more 
satisfying, and rewards that are immeasurably richer. 

For this is what Christ does for the man who comes 
in through him. 

He gives that man a new hope, a new inspiration, a 
new motive and power of effort, a new force of love 
and courage in all his faculties, and then sends him out 
again into the world to live and to work with all his 
energies. 

What good thing is there that Christ will not let you 
do if you take him as your Master? 


270 


DON’T MAKE A PET OF YOUR ANGER 


Be ye angry and sin not: let not the sun go down upon 
your wrath.—Ephesians 4 : 26. 


St. Paul here makes a wise concession to the infir- 
mity of our human tempers and gives a Christian 
counsel for controlling them. 

“Be ye angry,” says he (quite positively, as if we 
could not help it), “and sin not: let not the sun go 
down upon your wrath.” 

Even of Christ it is recorded that once he eoleed on 
the Pharisees “‘with anger,”’ because of their hardness 
of heart. (Mark 3:5.) 

But afterwards he died for them, as for all sinful 
men; and he prayed that they might be forgiven, be- 
cause of their ignorance. 

To be incapable of anger is to be less than human. 

To yield to it without a cause is to run in danger of 
the judgment. 

To be fond of it and make a pet of it is to court 
trouble and sorrow. 

When night falls let anger die. 

Anger that breaks out is troublesome. 

Anger that sinks in is fatal. 

A well-founded mistrust of treacherous persons we 
may keep. But God save us from the poison of a cher- 
ished grudge. 


271 


A DUTY OF THE ENLIGHTENED 


Let your light so shine before men that they may see 
your good works and glorify your Father who 1s in 


Heaven.—Matthew 5 : 16. 


Even in what we call respectable society, forces of 
darkness are at work. 

Are there no unrighteous practices in business, no 
false standards in social life, no licensed frauds and 
falsehoods in politics, no vile and vulgar tendencies in 
art and literature and journalism, in this self-compla- 
cent modern world of which we are a part? 

All these things are threatening signs. 

The question for us men of enlightenment is: 

What are we going to do to arrest and counteract 
these tendencies? 

It is not enough for us to take a negative position in 
regard to them. 

If our influence is to be real, it must be positive. 

It is not enough to say, “Keep out of the darkness. 

On the contrary, we must enter it, as light enters a 
dark house to overcome and disperse the gloom. 

Good men are not meant to be simply like trees 
planted by rivers of water, flourishing in their own 
pride and for their own sake. 

They ought to be like the eucalyptus trees which 
have been set out in the marshes of the Campagna, 
from which a healthful, tonic influence is said to be 
diffused to countervail the miasma. 

They ought to be like the tree of paradise, “‘whose 
leaves are for the healing of the nations.” 


33 


272 


THE INWARDNESS OF EVIL 


Out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders.— 
Matthew 15 : 19. 


We are often inclined to make the faults of our na- 
tures and dispositions the excuse for our misdeeds. 

But truly, if anything could increase our unworthi- 
ness, it would be just this fact that our worst tempta- 
tions come from within ourselves, and we are driven 
into wrong not by any outward tempest so much as by 
the force of our own impure and selfish passions. 

Never plead your natural disposition as an excuse 
for evil deeds. 

But for the deeds, the disposition would not have 
become confirmed. 

It is as base to love lying as it is to lie. 

It is as bad to have a murderous temper as it is to 
kill. 

It is the evil nature which God condemns. 

Let us make it not a cloak for sin, but a reason for 
penitence and a strong plea for help to overcome it. 

When a man really wishes to reform and do better, 
he should go to the root of the matter. His prayer 
should be: 

““Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a 
right spirit within me.” 


273 


LABOR SANCTIFIED 


Diligent in business, fervent in spirit, serving the 
Lord.—Romans. 12 : II. 


Christ came mto the world to sanctify all forms of 
honest human toil and all tasks of vital human effort. 

Christ came into the world not to separate men from 
life, but to bring a larger, richer life into men. 

Christ came into the world to consecrate humanity 
to a holy priesthood, serving God in the ritual of the 
common life. 

The activities that mar and weaken and destroy 
humanity, he would check and crush out. 

The activities that develop true manhood and wo- 
manhood and make the world a better place to live in, 
he would encourage and enlarge. 

He came to break down the false distinction between 
the sacred and the secular. 

There is no clean and honest work in this world 
which may not be done in Christ’s name, and done a 
little better because the workman calls Jesus his Master. 


“Every mason in the quarry, every builder on the 
shore, 

Every woodsman in the forest, every boatman at the 
oar, 

Hewing wood and drawing water, splitting stones and 
cleaving sod, 

All the dusty ranks of labor in the regiment of God, 

March together toward His triumph, do the task His 
hands prepare; 

Honest toil is holy service, faithful work is praise and 
prayer.” 


274 


MAJORITIES NOT INFALLIBLE 


They all said, Let him be crucified ... They cried 
out exceedingly, Let him be crucified—Matthew 27 : 22, 
237 


The dogma of popular infallibility goes directly in 
the teeth of experience, and cancels that wise and 
needful maxim of the Hebrew commonwealth: 

“Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil.” 

A thoughtful consideration of the self-begotten errors 
which brought about the downfall of such democracy 
as existed in Athens, in republican Rome, in revolu- 
tionary France, and more recently, for a few months, 
in unhappy Russia, dreaming of freedom and walking 
straight into the ditch of Soviet slavery—such a study 
would yield matter for a book of profitable warnings. 

It is folly to suppose that by combining ignorances 
you can create wisdom, or that by massing prejudices 
you will evolve fair play. 

It is easier to move an individual than to move a 
mob. But it is harder to stop a mob when it gets going 
the wrong way. 

A plebiscite is valuable only when the people are 
given time and encouragement to think. 

Christ was crucified by a referendum. 


275 


BAD OLD WAYS 


The way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the hire 
of wrong doing.—II Peter 2 : 15. 


Among antiquities it 1s wise to discriminate. Some 
old furniture is both ugly and uncomfortable. 

Evil is almost, if not quite, as ancient as good. 

Folly and wisdom, among men at least, are twins, 
and we cannot distinguish between them by the gray 
hairs. 

Adam’s way was old enough; and so was the way of 
Cain, and of Noah’s vile son, and of Lot’s lewd daugh- 
ters, and of Balaam, and of Jezebel, and of Manasseh. 

Judas Iscariot was as old as St. John. 

Ananias and Sapphira were of the same age with St. 
Peter and St. Paul. 

This is what the hard-boiled conservative fails to 
take into account. 

It is enough for him to know that a thing is antique, 
to make him regard it as venerable. 

He reveres all long-established ways, and considers 
every rule of ancient date an infallible commandment. 

This petrifies the moral judgment and makes ethics 
a matter of chronology. 

No rule, no custom is old enough to refuse an answer 
to the question: 

Are you right, or wrong? 


276 


SILLY STREAKS IN WISE MEN 


So doth a little folly him that 1s in reputation.—Ec- 
clesiastes 10 71. 


Wisdom in the abstract is perfect, rounded and 
complete. 

But wisdom in the concrete, as we find it embodied 
in those whom we call wise men, always has cracks 
in it. 

There are faults in the gold-bearing vein. 

For example, the silly streak in Solomon, most saga- 
cious of kings, seems to have been his insatiable fond- 
ness for the fair sex. 

It is not our place to judge and condemn the personal 
passions and prejudices of the wise. But we shall do 
well to recognize them as weak points. 

The fortunate thing is that they seldom coincide. 
When we put them side by side they tend to correct 
and neutralize one another. 

That is what is meant by the proverb: “In a multi- 
tude of counsellors there is safety.” 

It is not because the many know more, but because 
when they meet together they joyfully detect and 
expose one another’s silly streaks. 

One Person alone, in all history, is free from flaws. 
Read Sidney Lanier’s poem ‘“‘The Crystal.” Remem- 
ber what Pontius Pilate said of Jesus: 

“T find no fault in him.” 


277 


GOD’S WILL IN PRAYER 
Praying at all seasons.—Ephesians 6 : 18. 


It is no valid objection to prayer to say that the Bible 
itself teaches that all things are foreordained in the 
wise counsel of God before they come to pass. 

For this only carries us back into the region of the 
infinite quantities, where all our logic is at fault. 

If the event is predetermined, so also may be the 
prayer. 

It may be the connecting link in the chain. 

And since we cannot tell beforehand what God will 
do, it would be just as foolish to say that he will send 
the blessing whether we ask for it or not, as it would 
be to say that he will send the harvest without the 
seed, or the rain without the cloud. 

Moreover, the prayer itself is a part of the blessing. 

Who shall say that it is not a great benefit to a man 
just to open his heart to God, to make his trouble and 
his care known, to give utterance to his inmost desire 
and need? 


2'78 


ON THE POSITIVE SIDE 


Learn to do good.—Isaiah 1 : 17. 


Denial is a barren fig-tree. 
* # 


Doubt is like fog. It hides things, but it does not 
destroy them. 

x x 

It is easier to get what we like, than to escape from 
what we dislike. 

* 

Good music 1s not difficult to obtain. But it is hard 
to get away from the ugly noises with which the modern 
city is cursed. 

x 

To open a fine vista you have only to cut a few trees. 
But to shut out an ugly view you must plant a grove 
and wait for it to grow. 

x oF 

You will teach your children good principles more 

readily than you will rid them of bad habits. 
x x 


The best way to correct a foul odor in a room is not 
to burn a pastille, but to open the windows and let the 


fresh air blow in. 
* o* 


If you will tell your boy what to do, you will shorten 
the needful catalogue of Dont’s. 
* x 


The untenanted house is the one that is in danger. 
x x 
But doing good, like everything else worth while, 
has to be learned. 


279 


A LASTING HABITATION 


Lord, thou hast been our dwelling-place in all gener- 
ations.—Psalm go : I. 


Man is a natural nomad, with a desire for perma- 
nence. 

A tent for the wandering body, but an everlasting 
mansion for the believing soul—this is what we can 
see when we take a long, true look at life. 

Wherever thou art, if thou believest in God, he is 
thy roof to shelter thee, he is thy hearth to warm thee, 
he is thy refuge and thy resting place. 

If once thou hast found this home and entered it, 
thou canst not be defenseless or forlorn. For he who 
remains the same amid all uncertainties and changes, 
he whose goodness antedates creation and whose faith- 
fulness outwears the mountains, he with whom there is 
no variableness nor shadow of turning, is thy habita- 
tion and thy God. 

Doubly does this thought comfort and strengthen 
us when we remember those who have found peace and 
security here in former generations. 

It is not a new house that shelters us but a family 
home. 


For our God is the God of our fathers. 


MUSIC AS A DEFENSE 


Thou wilt compass me about with songs of deliverance. 
—Psalm 32 : 7. 


The counterpart to this psalm of repentance and 
joy is the gospel story of the prodigal son. And in 
both there is “music and dancing.” 

This verse carries with it a picture and an idea. 

It suggests a company of friends joining hands and 
singing around the son that was lost and is found. 

Their songs are his guard; they surround him like a 
wall. 

Pure music is a protection to the soul. 

If anyone is merry, let him sing; and the little devils 
who are always waiting to spoil every pleasure by per- 
verting it to evil, will fly away, like bats from a cavern 
where a torch is kindled. 

Good music is a defense against bad thoughts. 

But the time for joyful music is not when the prodigal 
is in the far country, wasting his substance in riotous 
living, or feeding on husks among the swine, but when 
he comes to himself and goes home. 

Yet in some churches the doleful music is enough to 
discourage any returning wanderer. 

I have never sung, and will never sing, a hymn about 


hell. 


If you believe in it, surely it’s nothing to sing about. 


281 


QUO VADIS? 


Choose you this day whom ye will serve-—Joshua 
OATS. 


The modern theory about the factors that control 
life would put heredity first, environment second, and 
free will last. 

I would reverse the order: personal choice first, sur- 
rounding influence second, and inherited equipment 
third. 

All three are real, and the ways are before us. 

We can travel by the road that we choose. 

We go fast or slow according to our temperament, 
.which may be sluggish or active. 

But the direction in which we go is a matter of our 
own decision. 

I once knew a dull-witted son of a dissipated father, 
who made as handsome and brave a little ride on the 
journey of life as anyone could imagine. 

Heredity gives us our outfit. 

Environment supplies our company. But when we 
come to the cross-roads, the question 1s: 

“Boy, which way will you ride?”’ 


282 


HUMAN MEMBERSHIP 
For we are members one of another.—Ephesians 4 : 25. 


Life is just the process of discovering our relation- 
ships. While they increase, we grow. When they dimin- 
ish, we shrink. ‘There is no death except for those 
who shut themselves up and out. 


* 


In the progress of personality, first comes a declara- 
tion of independence, then a recognition of interde- 
pendence. 

* Ox 

It is a pity that men should be divided by their 

pleasures more than by their work. 


* 


We have a word in English for suffering together— 
sympathy. But where is the word in our language for 
rejoicing together? 

* 

Does this verbal lack mean that we need compan- 
ionship in sorrow more than in joy? I think not. It 
seems to me more likely that it is an evidence of the 
old superstition of our race that grief is holier than 
gladness, and that mourning is a duty while joy is 
only an indulgence. 

* Ok 

This notion is all wrong—contrary to Christianity. 
St. Paul tells us to “rejoice with them that rejoice,. 
and weep with them that weep.” 

x 

He translates human membership in terms of com-. 

panionship—a sharing of everything in life’s journey. 


283 


THE SOLIDARITY OF EVIL 
Against thee, thee only have I sinned—Psalm 51 : 4. 


Do we really understand that every bad deed we 
commit is a part of all the evil that is in the world? 

There is no such thing as a single, separate sin. 

If we hate, that 1s a contribution to the world’s vol- 
cano of hatred. 

If we lie, that 1s a contribution to the world’s fog of 
falsehood. 

Our offenses against our neighbor are treason, be- 
cause they lend aid and comfort to the great enemy, 
the Evil One. 

They are betrayals of God, who is love and truth. 

The warfare between good and evil is a long, long 
campaign—not eternal as the Zoroastrians say, be- 
cause evil is self-destroying and must finally perish in 
defeat—but so long that the end is far beyond our vi- 
sion. 

Meantime, every soldier counts in every battle, and 
the humblest sentry post is fraught with great re- 
sponsibilities. 

There is no divided allegiance. The challenge is: 

“Under which King, Bezonian? Speak or die.” 


284 


THE DIVINE PRESENCE 


Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord.—Jere- 
miah 23 : 24. 


Our daily existence sometimes seems to us a thing of 
small account. 

It appears to be made up of endless petty tasks and 
a few petty pleasures and many petty trials. 

It produces no great results. 

We just go on attending to the details of business in 
a small office, or keeping house in a quiet street; and 
the children are a little larger this year than they were 
last year; and we have a few more gray hairs; and we 
have managed to meet our obligations fairly well. 

But we wonder what we are sent into the world for. 

My friend, you were sent into the world to live your 
life with God. 

If he can come into this life of yours, you ought to 
think well of it. 

All its daily duties, all its small delights, should seem 
to you refined and uplifted by the Divine participation 
in them. 

Let us learn that the whole Christian life, whether 
it is lived on a large scale or a small one, is a beautiful 
and worthy life. 

What God requires of us is not to accomplish any- 
thing wonderful, but to do justice, and love mercy, and 
walk humbly with our God. 

God has two thrones—one in the highest heaven, 
one in the lowliest heart. 


285 


KNOWING AND DOING 


If ye know, happy are ye if ye do these things —John 
13.217. 


Between the knowing and the doing there is a deep 
gulf. 

Into that abyss the happiness of many a man slips, 
and is lost. 

There is no peace, no real and lasting felicity for a 
human life until the gulf is closed, and the continent of 
conduct meets the continent of creed, edge to edge, 
lip to lip, firmly joined forever. 

It is not a blessing to know the things that Christ 
teaches, and then go on living as if they were false or 
doubtful. 

It is a trouble, a torment, a secret misery. 

To know that God is our Father and yet to withhold 
our love and service from him; to know that Christ 
died for us, and yet to deny him and refuse to follow 
him; to know that there is an immortal life, and yet to 
waste and lose our souls in the pursuit of sensual plea- 
sure and such small portion of the world as we may 
hope to gain—surely, that is the deepest of all unhap- 
piness. 

But the right kind of knowing carries in its heart the 
doing of the truth. 

And the right kind of doing leads to a fuller and hap- 
pier knowing. 

“If any man will do God’s will,” declares Christ, 
“he shall know of the doctrine.” 


286 


HOW TO FADE 
We all do fade as a leaf—Isaiah 64 : 6. 


The comparison is old—so old that the young critics 
who are obsessed by their own newness call it a cliché, 
and think scorn of it. 

Yet it is so natural that men will use it, or at least 
feel it, until the final autumn of Time brings the last 
leaf from the forest and the last man to his grave. 

But with what a difference do the leaves fade! 

Some wither brownly like the alder and the butter- 
nut. 

Some put on golden hues like the white birch and 
the quaking aspen. 

Some are arrayed in glad colors of scarlet and saffron 
like the red oak, the maple and the liquid-amber. 

You can hardly call this fading, since it crowns the 
hills with glory and fills the vales with splendor. 

Even so differently do men grow old and pass away. 

Some with dry and sombre reluctance, crackling as 
they wither and rustling as they fall. 

Some with the golden light of another world upon 
them. 

Some with rich and mellow radiance, welcoming the 
Divine law which rules the earthly seasons, in the 
spirit of Stevenson’s “ Requiem”: 

“Glad did I live and gladly die. 
And I laid me down with a will.” 

I have noticed that certain trees renew in their 
autumn foliage the same color that marked them in the 
budding time of spring, but with deeper, fuller hues. 

Can it be so with men? 


287 


TWO PATHS IN FRIENDSHIP 


We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the 
house of God in company.—Psalm 55 : 14. 


There are two paths in friendship: up, and down. 

What are you seeking in human intercourse? It is 
said that a man may be known by the company he 
keeps. Not always. He may be better known by the 
purpose with which he keeps it. 

The Pharisees kept company with respectable folk, 
and found dead men’s bones. Christ kept company 
with publicans and sinners, and found hidden treasure. 

If you are seeking in your fellow men that which 
ministers to ambition or avarice or sensuality, or try- 
ing to make friends simply in order that they may 
help you to secure certain advantages in the world of 
wealth or fashion, or forming ties of intimacy whose 
chief attraction lies in their appeal to that which is 
selfish and greedy and base in your nature, then you 
are surely on the descending path. 

But if you are looking for that which is best in the 
men and women with whom you come into contact; if 
you are seeking also to give them that which is best in 
yourself; if you are looking for a friendship which 
shall help you to know yourself as you are and to fulfil 
yourself as you ought to be, and for a love which shall 
be a true comradeship and a mutual inspiration to all 
nobility of living, then you are surely on the ascending 
path. 


288 


CHOOSE YOUR VIEWPOINT 


As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: 
and as 15 the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. 
—I Corinthians 15 : 48. 


When we look only at the sensuous side we may read 
nature as a grocer’s account book, but when we look 
at the spiritual side we begin to interpret nature as a 
divine poem. 

There are some people in the world, and very decent 
people, too, to whom the returning summer cannot 
mean much more than it means to a comfortable cow— 
a time of physical pleasure, when there are no more 
blizzards, and it is easy to move about, and there are 
plenty of green things to eat. 

But there are others to whom it means a blossoming 
of thankful thoughts, a rapture of gentle affections, 
a promise of new and immortal life. 

I once heard an Englishman, looking down upon the 
glittering, motionless billows of the Mer de Glace, re- 
mark that “all that ice would bring a lot of money in 
the hot season in Calcutta, don’t you know?” 

The poet Coleridge, in his “Hymn at Sunrise in the 
Vale of Chamouni,”’ heard those silent cataracts of 
frozen splendor singing the eternal praise of God. It is 
always open to us to choose whether we will fix our 
regards upon the lower or upon the higher side of 
nature. 

We have two pairs of eyes, one of the sense and one 
of the soul. 

The spiritual vision seeks the things that are above. 

To look up is to aspire. 

To aspire is to rise. 


289 


A MISTAKEN GOAL 


He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man.—Prov- 
erbs 21 : 17. 


The man who chooses pleasure as the object of his 
life has no real port of destination, but is like a boat 
that beats up and down and drifts to and fro, merely 
to feel the motion of the waves and the impulse of the 
wind. 

When the voyage of life is done he has reached no 
haven, he has accomplished nothing. 

St. Paul says of the pleasure seekers: 

“Whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, 
whose glory is their shame, who mind earthly things.” 

And in another place, lest we should forget that 
this is as true of women as it is of men, he says: 

“She that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth.” 

That saying is profoundly true. 

A pleasure seeking life is a living death, because its 
object perishes even while it is attained, and at the end 
nothing is left of it but dust and ashes. 

But the pleasure that expands our powers and makes 
us grow, the pleasure that is full of what Wordsworth 
called “‘oital feelings of delight,” that is a real and 
worthy object of human desire and effort. 

It ranks next to duty. 

Indeed, it is a kind of duty, because it 1s a means of 
development. 

Why are we born, if not to grow? 


THE IDLENESS OF IDOLS 


Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve 
them.—Exodus 20: 5. 


He that maketh an image or likeness of anything in 
heaven or earth is higher than the work of his making, 
and the soul of the artificer is above the fruit of his 
labor. 

If he bow down to it he is abased, and if he worship 
it he layeth fetters on his own spirit. 

The heart of man hath not uttered the depth of his 
thought, nor the hand of man given shape to the 
fairest of his dreaming. 

The living is more excellent than the lifeless, and a 
little child more precious than all graven images. 

The idols of the mind are fashioned in darkness, 
and the foolish pay homage to their vain imaginations. 

There is a mystery of godliness, and the hand of 
man can not reveal it to his vision. 

Therefore let us take pleasure in the sculptures on 
the wall, but we adore only the King Invisible and 
Immortal. 

Hallowed be his name in every tongue of man. 


291 


THE GREAT GIFTS 


But desire earnestly the greater gifts ——I Corinthians 
T2483 Ie 


It is only by thinking about great things that we 
come to love them, and only by loving them we come 
to long for them, and only by longing for them we are 
impelled to seek after them, and only by seeking after 
them do they become ours and enter into our vital 
experience. 

Is not the reason why our lives often seem so narrow 
and poor and weak, why their interests seem so trivial, 
their results so feeble, just because we think so much 
of the things that are petty and narrow and barren 
and transient, and so little of the things that are great 
and fruitful and eternal? 

These dry and thirsty lives of ours, these dull, stale, 
flat, and unprofitable lives of ours—whose fault is it 
that they are so? 

Ours, and ours alone. 

For the riches of infinite wealth and the powers of 
immeasurable strength are all about us waiting for 
us to possess and use them. 

But there is only one way in which we can enter 
into their possession, and that is by thinking about 
them, by considering them earnestly and steadily until 
they draw us to themselves. 

The strength of your life is measured by the strength 
of your will. 

But the strength of your will is just the strength of 
the wish that lies behind it. 

And the strength of your wish depends upon the 
sincerity and earnestness and tenacity with which 
you fix your attention upon the things which are really 
great and worthy to be loved. 


292 


DAY DREAMING ABOUT OURSELVES 


I will meditate in thy precepts and have respect unto 
thy ways.—Psalm 119 : IS. 


Our dreams of the future are too much like the mod- 
ern stage, full of elaborate scenery and machinery, 
crowded with startling effects and brilliant costumes 
and magical transformations, but strangely vacant of 
all real characters. ; 

The stuff of which our day dreams are made is for 
the most part of very cheap material. 

We seldom weave into them the threads of our in- 
most spiritual life. 

We fancy ourselves going through the various expe- 
riences of life, a fortunate marriage, a successful busi- 
ness career, a literary triumph, a political victory. 

But we do not stay to ask what manner of men and 
women we shall be when we are living here or there, or 
doing thus or so. 

Yet it is a much more important question than the 
thousand and one trifling interrogatories about the 
future with which we amuse our idle hours. 

We are on a path which leads upward, by sure and 
steady steps, when we begin to look at our future selves 
with eyes of noble and clear purpose, and see our fig- 
ures climbing, with patient, dauntless effort, towards 
the heights of true manhood and womanhood. 

Visions like these are Joseph’s dreams. 

The very memory of them, if we cherish it, is a 
power of pure restraint and generous inspiration. 


293 


LAWFUL WEALTH 


And the land shall yield her fruit, and ye shall eat your 
fill, and dwell therein.—Leviticus 25 : 19. 


There is a Great deal of foolish railing against wealth, 
which takes for granted now that it is an unsubstantial 
and illusory good, and now that it is not good at all, 
but only an unmixed evil, and the root of all other evils. 

Many preachers and moralists talk about wealth in 
this way. 

But they do not really think about it in this way. 

They know better. 

And when young people discover and observe the 
curious inconsistency between the teacher’s words and 
his thoughts, as illuminated by his conduct, they are 
likely to experience a sense of disappointment, and a 
serious revulsion from a doctrine which does not seem 
to be sincere. 

Wealth is simply the visible result of human labor, 
or of the utilization of natural forces and products, in 
such a form that it can be exchanged. 

A gallon of water in a mountain lake is not wealth. 

But the same gallon of water conveyed through an 

aqueduct and delivered in the heart of a great city rep- 
resents a certain amount of wealth, because it has a 
value in relation to the wants of men. 

A tree growing in an inaccessible forest is not wealth. 

But a piece of lumber which can be delivered in a 
place where men are building houses is a bit of wealth. 

Money is only the symbol of wealth, a token or 
counter by means of which it can be exchanged. 


294 


THE TEN COMMANDMENTS 
The ten commandments.—Exodus 34 : 28. 


Whereunto shall we liken the Ten Commandments, 
and to what shall we compare the laws revealed upon 
Mount Sinai? 

They are fruits borne by the tree of wisdom, wherein 
the seed of harvest to come is hidden. 

They are jewels in the crust of earth, wherein the 
teachings of life are made clear as crystal. 

Wherefore it is said that God wrote them upon the 
rocks, because they belong to the foundations; 

And he gave them to Israel, because they were his 
people chosen to enlighten all nations. 

Yet he hath broken and scattered Israel, and the 
tables of stone laid up in the ark have vanished. 

But the fruitfulness of their wisdom is not lost, 
neither have the jewels of their righteousness been 
darkened. 

For in them we see clearly what is good for man to 
do, and what things hinder him in the upward way of 
living. 

Wherefore Christ hath put his seal upon the Ten 
Commandments, because their meaning is love to 
God and our neighbor. 


295 


ONLY ONE GOD 


Thou shalt have no other gods before me.—Exodus 
20:3: 


The men that make many gods are in confusion, 
because their making is after their own image. 

Therefore the gods of the heathen are at war one 
with another; they lie and steal and are not ashamed. 

Thus do the makers of many gods build up trouble 
in their soul, and in the end they have no God who 
can save them. 

But even as the whole world is one to the uttermost 
bounds, so all the powers that be are under the will of 
one God. 

The lifting up of the mountains is according to his 
law, and the sea is stayed by his command. 

He worketh secretly in the innermost parts of the 
earth, and the living creatures come forth at his bid- 
ding. 

But unto man he saith: Thou art my child, in free- 
dom have I begotten thee. 

Therefore to obey him is wisdom, and to worship 
him is peace of mind. 

When the day of perplexity cometh upon us, we take 
refuge in the Eternal. 


And when the mystery of life is too hard for us, we 
abide with Christ in God. 


296 


THE SOUL MUST HAVE ITS DAY 
Remember the rest day to keep it holy —Exodus 20 : 8. 


Remember also the words of the Lord Jesus, how 
he said: 

“The sabbath was made for man, and not man for 
the sabbath.” 

In the business of living, the life within 1s forgotten; 
and the good seed is choked by the cares of the world. 

How shall the soul be fed unless there be a time for 
feeding; and how shall the week be balanced without a 
day of rest? 

Many diseases afflict those who are ill nourished; 
and the evils of this generation are multiplied by soul 
starving. 

Man is moulded in his habits; and the practice of 
mankind sheweth that one day in seven is little enough 
for the needs of the spirit. 

Yet is the seventh in number not sacred; but the 
day that best nourisheth the life within shall be kept 
holy. 

Rest is not found in idleness, but in good works, and 
quiet thoughts, and joy in the Lord. 

Let us keep not the sabbath of the Pharisees, but 
the sabbath of Christ. | 


297 


THE COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE 


Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be 
fong in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.— 
Exodus 20 : 12. 


He that despiseth his parents is a troubler of his own 
nest; and length of days is no blessing when the house 
is full of rebellion. 

Therefore the commandment and the promise are 
bound together, lest old age should be a calamity and 
youth a curse. 

There is nothing steadfast in the nation unless the 
home hath foundations; and the cornerstone of the 
household is honor. 

In every religion reverence is a virtue, and they 
that cast off the aged are a barbarous people. 

Put thy trust in a stealer of horses rather than in 
one that revileth his father, and walk with him that 
speaketh lies rather than with one that mocketh his 
mother. 

Turn thy face away if thy father be in fault, and re- 
frain thy lips if thy mother stumble, for it is not thine 
office to condemn them. 

But do them honor in all virtue, and reward them 
gladly in all praise. 

So shall thy children learn to bless thee, and God 
shall make thy heritage secure. 


298 


DEFENSES 
Thou shalt not.—Exodus 20 : 13-17. 


The garden of the fool hath no fences; and the horses 
of the wicked are without bit or bridle. 

All that harmeth thy neighbor is a hurt to thee; and 
the wickedness of evil is that it hindereth loving. 

Beware of covetousness; for it is a secret way and 
an easy path to all other vices. 

Let the love of thy fellow men guide thee toward 
virtue, and the goodness of God lead thee to repent- 
ance. 

He who hath not learned to give up is not worthy 
to possess, for the control of passion 1s the secret of 
freedom. 

A false witness against his neighbor is self condemned, 
' but one who hath spoken truth without fear is held in 
honor. 

Thy virtues may not save thee, but they will give 
light to those that are in darkness. 

Let us therefore strive to live honestly in the sight 
of all men, that they may glorify not us but our Father 
in heaven. 

And wherein we have failed we have an advocate 
with the Father, even Jesus Christ the righteous. 


299 


DOCTRINE AND FAITH 


For other foundation can no man lay than that which 
is laid, which is Jesus Christ.—I Corinthians 3 : 11. 


Let us never imagine that we can strengthen Chris- 
tianity by leaving out the great doctrines which have 
given it life and power. 

Faith 1s not a mere matter of feeling. 

It is the acceptance of revealed truth in regard to 
God and the world, Christ and the soul, duty and im- 
mortality. 

What the world wants to-day is a strong, true, vital 
preaching of doctrine. 

But we must put the emphasis of our preaching 
where it belongs, where Christ puts it, on the doctrines 
that are most important to human life and happiness. 

I will not admit that it makes no difference to a man 
of this age whether or not he believes in the personal 
God and the Divine Christ. 

If he really believes, it makes all the difference be- 
tween spiritual strength and spiritual weakness, be- 
tween optimism and pessimism. | 

I will not admit that it makes no difference to a 
learned scholar or a simple laborer whether he accepts 
or ignores the doctrine of the atonement, the doctrine 
of personal immortality. 

If he knows that Christ died for him, that there is a 
future beyond the grave, it makes all the difference 
between despair and hope, between the helpless frailty 
of a being that is puffed out like a candle and the joy- 
ful power of an endless life. 


300 


A SOCIAL PROPHYLACTIC 


As for our transgressions, thou shalt purge them away. 


—Psalm 65 : 3. 


Decay begins in discord. It is the loss of balance in 
an organism. One part of the system gets too much 
nourishment, another part too little. 

Morbid processes are established. Tissues break 
down. In their debris all sorts of malignant growths 
take root. Ruin follows. 

Now this is precisely the danger to which the social 
organism is exposed. 

From this danger religion is meant to preserve us. 

Certainly there can be no true Christianity which 
does not aim at this result. 

It should be a balancing, compensating, regulating 
power. 

It should keep the relations between man and man, 
between class and class, normal and healthful and 
mutually beneficent. 

It should humble the pride of the rich, and moderate 
the envy of the poor. 

It should soften and ameliorate the unavoidable in- 
equalities of life, and transform them from causes of 
jealous hatred into opportunities of loving and gener- 
ous service. 

If it fails to do this, it is salt without savor, and when 
a social revolution comes, as the consequence of social 
corruption, men will cast out the unsalted religion and 
tread it under foot. 


301 


GUIDANCE BETTER THAN REGULATION 
Walk in the light—I John 1 : 7. 


To live up to a principle is harder than to obey a set 
of rules. 

But just for that reason it may be better. 

People are always asking for definite and precise 
ethical prescriptions—or trying to impose them on 
others. 

Take so many grams of this virtue, and so many 
minims of that good habit, and so many drops of this 
moral tincture. 

Avoid this vice of conduct, and that error of diet, 
and this crime of thought. 

But St. John says to us very simply, “Walk in the 
light.” 

You see where the shadow falls. 

You can see where the star leads. Follow it with 
open eyes. 

Let us try this way of guidance more seriously than 
we have yet done. The light of good will in all our ex- 
periments ! 

The glow of kindness in all our efforts ! 

The purpose of beneficence in all our plans! 

For a year, a month, even a week—do you think we 
can do it? 

You are my partner, neighbor, and I am yours. 

But to tell the truth, between us we have small cap- 
ital and less experience. 

To carry out this enterprise we shall need the help 
of our silent partner—the divine, invisible One who 
knows all. 


302 


VOTES DIFFER IN VALUE 


They that are wise among the people shall instruct 
many.—Daniel If : 33. 


Universal suffrage—one man, one vote—may be a 
good motto. 

But it does not mean that all votes are equal in 
value. 

In old Calvinton, when I was young, we had a pro- 
fessor who was a saint, a sage, and a joy to the heart. 
Every one in the town knew and loved him. 

As he rode along the main street in his little one- 
horse carryall on election day, we would say: 

“There goes the old Doctor to vote the Republi- 
cratic ticket.” 

When he had deposited his ballot, he would come 
out, climb into the back seat of the wagon, and smil- 
ingly hold the reins, while his Irish coachman went in 
to exercise the proud privilege of suffrage. 

As Pat emerged from the polls, he would grin, and 
whisper behind the back of his hand to the bystanders: 

“Begorrah, oi’ve just nulligated ould Docther’s 
vote!” 

But had Pat done as much as that? 

Neither he himself nor the laughing bystanders 
really thought so. 

There was something in the example of the wise old 
doctor faithfully performing a simple duty of citizen- 
ship that counted far beyond the ballot he had dropped 
in the box. 


It could not be equalled save by a man of equal 
wisdom and character. 


303 


EVERGREENS 


And the boughs thereof were like cedars of God.—Psalm 
80 : 10. 


Most of the trees of Palestine, the oak, the terebinth, 
and the sycamore, the fig, the mulberry, and the 
almond-tree, are deciduous. 

But one, and that the noblest of them all, is an ever- 
green. 

The cedar of Lebanon stands loftily upon the moun- 
tain, fearing neither height of precipice nor depth of 
snow, stretching out broad boughs as if to welcome all 
beneath its layers of unfailing shade. 

When you have seen one of these trees upon its royal 
throne, you know what the psalmist meant when he 
said of the prospering vine of Israel that its boughs 
were like the cedars of God. 

There is something divinely majestic about the 
great evergreens. 

A forest filled with their pillared trunks has the air 
of a temple. 

I know a grove of silver pines at the Sidney Lanier 
Camp in Maine, the lightest murmur of whose whisper- 
ing leaves invites to worship. 

Amid the brighter foliage of summer the evergreens 
look sombre and monotonous, but their cool aisles are a 
shelter from the burning heat. 

And in the bare winter they offer an unchanging 
retreat. 

Not of the cedars of Lebanon only would I chant the 
praise. 

Knowing the lofty forests of the West, I would sing 
psalms of the Douglas fir-trees and the yellow pines 


of God, 
304. 


THE ROYAL LAW 


The royal law * * * Thou shalt love thy netghbor as 
thyself—James 2:8. 


This law as it stands, with its double duty of the 
right love of oneself and the equal love of one’s neigh- 
bor, has been already considered in these papers. 

Perhaps we may come back to it again, for it is the 
most important of all practical directions, as well as 
the most difficult to read and interpret correctly. 

If I could do that, I should be wiser than I know 
myself to be. | 

But for to-day let us concern ourselves only with the 
question of why St. James calls this The Royal Law. 

Is it because Christ gave it? 

But he gave also many other commandments, and 
he is still giving them through His Spirit. 

Is it because Kings always keep it? 

But some of them have not kept it at all, and few of 
them have always observed it. 

I think it may be because it corresponds to the true 
ideal of what royalness means. 

For only he is fit to rule men, who loves them and 
desires their welfare as much as he values his own high 
place. 

I think it may be also because if this law were kept, 
it would make all men royal, since where all are servants 
one of another, all are kings, too. 

This is what St. Peter means when he writes: 

“Ye are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy 
nation.” 


395 


ARE WE ORGULOUS? 


When his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hard- 
ened so that he dealt proudly, he was deposed from his 
kingly throne, and they took his glory from him. —Daniel 
& 120) . 


Orgulous is marked in the dictionary as an obsolete 
word, but do we not need it still in our vocabulary ? 

If the creature is not extinct, shall its name be for- 
gotten? 

To be orgulous means more than to be proud. 

It means to cherish pride as a mark of nobility and 
to display it as a principle of conduct. 

It means that the natural note of exultation has been 
prolonged in an endless symphony of self-praise, and 
the grateful consciousness of success has hardened into 
an inflexible sense of superiority. 

Material wealth and prosperity tend to promote this 
spirit in men and in nations. 

Can we not read the record of it in the history of 
ancient Babylon and Rome? 

Were there no signs of it in the Paris of the first 
Napoleon and the Berlin of the second William Hohen- 
zollern ? 

Has it never shown its tentacles in New York or 
Washington? 

Did it not speak American in the doggerel, “The 
Yankee nation can lick all creation”? 

Talking with René Bazin in a cold Parisian attic 
during the darkest period of the Great War, I asked if 
he could name the cause of the dreadful conflict. 

“Bien sar, c’est l’orgueil,” he answered—‘“‘Sure, it 
is the orgulous spirit.”’ 


306 


WHIMS IN WORDS 


Great swelling words of vanity.—II Peter 2 : 18. 


When they are used for the purpose which St. Peter 
indicates, namely, to deceive the ignorant and mislead 
the unwary, obscure wind-blown words are abominable. 

They are also out of place when they are a mere 
verbal fashion taken up by writers who would fain be 
in the latest style. 

Why do so many nowadays write ‘‘meticulous” 
when they mean careful, and “intriguing” when they 
mean simply interesting? 

These are fads. 

But a whim is something different. 

There are occasions, it must be admitted, when a 
‘round, mouth-filling’? word is more fitting than a 
short, thin one. 

“An eloquent oration”? means something different 
from “a nice talk.” 


« 


It is more accurate as well as more pleasing to 
describe a landscape as wonderful, than to say, “‘Ain’t 
Nature great!” 

The strongest words are not always of one syllable 
and Anglo-Saxon derivation. 

Some of the noblest passages in the English Bible 
are full of words from Latin roots, like “tribulation,” 
“incorruptible,” “charity,” “majesty,” “immortality.” 

Permit me then to indulge my harmless whim for 
the word that seems most appropriate and conveys the 
fullest meaning. 

Let me confess also to a liking for slang when it is 
imaginative enough. 

Nothing could be more picturesque than the remark 
fondly attributed by the newspaper men to the Lady 


307 


Mayoress of an American city at a recent royal recep- 
tion: “Queen, you said a mouthful.” 
Even if not true, that was well invented. 


308 


THE NEW HUMILITY 


I say to every man * * * not to think of himself more 
highly than he ought to think—Romans 12 : 3. 


There are fashions in virtue, as in all other things, 
and the new is forever ousting the old, only to be cast 
out in turn when the old returns in a slightly different 
guise. 

When Christianity praised the lowly mind as one of 
the noblest qualities in man, the pagan philosophies re- 
jected it as unworthy, and the proud Roman world 
made mock of it in learned satires and in crude carica- 
tures scrawled on barrack walls. 

Then humility won the day, and was carried to ex- 
cess in ascetic abasements and monkish macerations. 

A new paganism came and exalted the superman, the 
machine maker, in his own esteem. Nietzsche despised 
Christianity as a morality for slaves. 

Now science teaches a new humility based upon the 
insignificance of man, a mere speck in the vast uni- 
verse, an infinitesimal passing figure in the eternal 
show of things. 

Is the new humility superior to the old? 

Was not St. Paul nearer the mark when he warned 
us to think of ourselves soberly, and Pascal when he 
wrote of the grandeur and misery of man? 

Man is not a sublime achievement, but a great 
possibility. 


309 


SAFELY THROUGH THE FIRE 


Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the 
fire, and they have no hurt; and the aspect of the fourth ts 
like the Son of God.—Daniel 3 : 25. 


This story seems to me a picture of those lives which 
by some miracle pass safely and unwithered through 
the fierce furnace of the world. 

For there the fires of avarice and greed, of anger 
and lust are ever burning. 

There the coals of envy and malice, of scorn and 
prejudice smoulder in a fervent heat. 

There the strong draughts of passion lift the flames 
like red volcanoes. 

There the gentle dews of mercy fall not, and the 
streams of innocence and joy are consumed and lost. 

Who can traverse this inferno in safety? Who can 
come out from earthly life, alive? 

Yet some there are who do it—some who keep the 
heart of youth in the body of age—some who emerge 
from the world with not even the smell of fire upon their 
garments. 

What is the secret of the miracle? 

It lies open in the story. 

The three men who were cast into the fiery furnace 
walked with a fourth man who was the Son of God— 
Immortal Love. 


For love is life, and they who do not love 
Are not alive. But every soul that loves 
Lives in the heart of God and hears Him speak. 


310 


A NEW GUESS ABOUT LIFE 
My name is Legion, for we are many.—Mark 5 : 9. 


I read in the newspapers that Mr. Edison, that most 
interesting and stimulating American of science, has 
just made a new guess at the basis of life. 

“Humans,” says he, “are vivified, their functions, 
mental and physical, are organized, controlled, and 
energized, by communities of entities. 

“These entities are possessed of intelligence: the in- 
dividuals are indivisible and indestructible, but so 
minute as not yet to have been isolated by the micro- 
scope—so minute they probably can pass through glass 
as freely as light—etc., etc.” 

This is certainly a most poetic and picturesque 
guess—uncountable swarms of invisible “entities” 
building and unbuilding human life, like the insects in 
a coral reef. 

I know nothing about the scientific evidence for 
such a theory, but certainly it makes a heavy call on 
faith. 

Somehow or other it reminds me of the story of the 
demoniac of Gadara, who was possessed by something 
which said, ‘‘My name is Legion, for we are many.” 

Are Mr. Edison’s “‘entities” spiritual or corporeal 
or both? 

Are they easier to believe in than angels and demons ? 

Is science less mysterious than religion ? 

Has any one but Christ the word of everlasting life? 


311 


GOD’S IMAGE RESTORED 


The new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the 
image of him that created him.—Colossians 3 : 10. 


Do you remember the story of the portrait of Dante 
which is painted on the walls of the Bargello, at Flor- 
ence? 

For many years it was supposed that the picture had 
utterly perished. 

But presently came an artist who was determined 
to find it again. 

He went into the place where tradition said that it 
had been painted. 

The room was used as a storehouse for lumber and 
straw. The walls were covered with dirty whitewash. 

Patiently and carefully he removed the whitewash 
from the wall. Lines and colours long hidden began to 
appear. 

And at last the grave, lofty, noble face of the great 
poet looked out again upon the world of light. 

“That was wonderful,” you say, “that was beauti- 
ful!” 

Not half so wonderful as the work which Christ 
came to do in the heart of man—to restore the likeness 
of God and bring the divine image to the light. 

He comes to us with the knowledge that God’s 
image is there, though concealed; he touches us with 
the faith that the likeness can be restored. 

To have upon our hearts the impress of the divine 
nature, to know that there is no human being in whom 
that treasure is not hidden, and from whose stained 
and dusty soul Christ can not bring out that reflection 
of God’s face—that, indeed, is to feel the glory and 
value of humanity. 


312 


NATIONAL FAULTS 


The Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, that 
march through the breadth of the earth to possess dwelling- 
places that are not theirs—Habakkuk 1 : 6. 


Men of science seem now inclined toward the 
theory of a common origin of mankind. 

They even speak of a central starting point, some- 
where in Asia, from which the tribes of animals and 
men were dispersed in their wanderings over the face 
of the earth. 

There is nothing in the poetic visions of the Book of 
Genesis to contradict that theory. 

But whatever their origin, the tribes, races, and na- 
tions of men have certainly had very different destinies 
and consequently different characters. 

Farmers, shepherds, city builders, nomads, are all 
symbolized in the pictures of Genesis. 

Tribes that live by war and conquest appear early. 
Of these the type is Chaldea, “that bitter and hasty 
nation.” 

Such nations are not happy, nor beloved, nor is 
their prosperity durable. 

Why should not peoples, as well as persons, examine 
their own characters, grows wise to their own faults, 
and be on guard against their own besetting sins? 

In this the critics whom we call pessimistic may 
help us greatly. 


313 


WISE RETICENCE 


A time to keep silence, and a time to speak.—Ec- 
clesiastes 3 : 7. 


America has a stupid habit of criticizing her public 
men for faults that are really virtues. 

President Coolidge, called suddenly to the highest 
office in the land by the lamented death of President 
Harding, has been ridiculed for his reticence. 

The cartoonist (in spite of evident natural difficul- 
ties) has depicted him as the Sphinx; and the inter- 
viewer has complained that he will not talk. 

Well, suppose he is not inclined to talk much. May 
it not be that he wishes to think more? 

Fluent speech is not the most valuable quality in the 
leader of a great republic. 

Careful consideration, clear judgment, and resolute 
courage are worth a great deal more than easy oratory. 

I should say to both parties: 

Let us give our President time to make up his mind. 

Let us discount the chatter of men whose minds 
were made up before they began to think. 

Then let us listen with consideration to what our 
President has to say about our present problems. 


314 


MAN’S PLACE IN THE UNIVERSE 


Thou madest him a little lower than the angels * * * 
and didst set him over the works of thy hands —Hebrews 


a yf 


The chief design of the picture of the beginnings 
drawn in the Book of Genesis is to show that a Personal 
Creator is the source and author of all things that are 
made. 

But next to that, and almost, perhaps altogether, 
of equal importance, is the design to show that man is 
incalculably superior to all the other works of God— 
that the distance between him and the lower animals 
is not a difference in degree, but a difference in kind. 

Yes, the difference is so great that we must use a 
new word to describe the origin of humanity, and say, 
This is more than God’s work, it is God’s child. 

“Man,” says Pascal, “is but a reed, the feeblest thing 
in nature; but he is a reed that thinks. 

“Tt needs not that the universe arm itself to crush 
him. 

“An exhalation, a drop of water, suffice to destroy 
him. 

‘““But were the universe to crush him, man is yet 
nobler than the universe, for he knows that he dies, 
and the universe, even in prevailing against him, 
knows not its power.” 

Now, the beauty and strength of Christ’s doctrine 
of man lie not in the fact that he was at pains to ex- 
plain and defend and justify this view of human na- 
ture, but in the fact that he assumed it with an un- 
shaken conviction of its truth and acted upon it alwavs 
and everywhere. 


FIVE GOOD THINGS 


Prove all things; hold fast that which 1s good.—I 
Thessalonians 5 : 21. 


It is good for all of us to know that we are not crea- 
tures of chance or fate, but children of God, capable 
of fellowship with Him, and heirs of immortality if 
we will only hold fast to our birthright. 

It is good for all of us to have firm faith and true 
courage; to pray for power from above; and to live as 
those who have been redeemed by Christ from the 
bondage of sin and selfishness and moral death. 

It is good for all of us to take warning and en- 
couragement from the mistakes and adventures of 
other men, and to bring the live histories of the Bible 
home to’ our own business and bosoms. 

It is good for all of us to refrain from harsh and hasty 
judgment of our fellowmen, and to imitate what 
Francis of Assisi calls “‘the great Courtesy of God, who 
maketh his sun to shine and his rain to fall upon the 
just and upon the unjust.” 

It is good for all of us not to waste our time in 
speculating about those mysteries of theology which 
lie beyond the horizon, but rather to content ourselves 
with proving the value of a short creed, honestly be- 
lieved and thoroughly applied. | 


316 


THE DIGNITY OF MAN 


How much then is a man better than a sheep!—Matthew 
T2e112. 


Christ reveals to us the dignity of man by speaking 
to us as beings who are capable of holding communion 
with God, and reflecting the divine holiness in our 
hearts and lives. And here his doctrine gains clearness 
and force when we bring it into close connection with 
his conduct. 

I suppose that there are few of us who would not 
be ready to admit at once that there are some men and 
women who have high spiritual capacities. 

For them, we say, religion is a possible thing. 

They can attain to the knowledge of God and fellow- 
ship with Him. 

They are born good. 

They are saints by nature. But for the great mass of 
the human race, this is out of the question. They must 
dwell in ignorance, in wickedness, in impiety. 

But to all this Christ says, No! 

He takes his way straight to the outcasts of the 
world, the publicans and the harlots and the sinners; 
and to them he speaks of the mercy and the love of 
God and the beauty of the heavenly life. 

And he does this, not to cast them into black despair; 
not because it was impossible for them to be good and 
to find God, but because it was divinely possible— 
because God was waiting for them, and because some- 
thing in them was waiting for God. 


317 


ABOUT THANKSGIVING DAY 


Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and 
make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.—Psalm 95 : 2. 


Please accent the first syllable of this word—strong 
and hearty—Thanksgiving. 

Thankfulness is the keynote of the oldest and most 
national of American festivals—the only day, I think, 
that is specially set apart and commended for general 
observance by proclamation of the President of the 
United States and of the Governors of the several 
States. 

Why has this feast day, which was first celebrated 
by the Pilgrims in Plymouth at the close of harvest in 
1621, kept its hold on the heart of the people and spread 
from New England westward until its bells. now ring 
from the Atlantic to the Pacific coast ? 

One reason is because most people naturally enjoy 
a good feast; and if they are really honest they are will- 
ing to say so. 

Another and deeper reason is because sincere grati- 
tude is one of the happiest feelings in the world. 

It is most happy when it rises to God for the daily 
mercies of life, and when we share it with our fellow 
creatures. 

Let us remember that the Pilgrims invited their 
Indian friends to their first Thanksgiving. 


Don’t forget to put the emphasis on the first syl- 
lable. 


318 


GOOD COMPANY 


I will set no base thing before mine eyes. Mine eyes 
shall be upon the faithful of the land that they may dwell 
with me.—Psalm Io! : 3, 6. 


Base things there are in the world, evil and unfaith- 
ful persons. 

It is impossible to get away from them except by 
going out of the world altogether, either by self-isola- 
tion or by suicide, both of which are unlawful escapes. 

But is it not wise for a man to refuse to make base 
things the constant object of his attention and regard? 

He will look at them when he has to—look at them 
fearlessly and frankly, in order that he may learn how 
to cure them. But he will “not set them before his 
eyes.” 

Is it not wise for a man to choose for his closest com- 
panions “the faithful of the land,” in order that he 
may draw from them by contact something of their 
honesty and courage and fidelity to keep him in heart 
and fit him for his work? 

He will not scorn the evil and unfaithful, knowing 
well how easy it would be for him to become even as 
they are. 

But that this may not happen, he will keep company 
daily with some one who is better than himself. 


319 


SILENT THINGS THAT SPEAK 


Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night 
showeth knowledge. 

There 1s no speech nor language: their voice 15 not 
heard. 

Their line 1s gone out through all the earth, and their 
words to the end of the world.—Psalm 19 : 2, 3, 4. 


The King James Version of our English Bible trans- 
lates this verse, “There is no speech nor language 
where their voice is not heard.” 

But the word “where” is not in the Hebrew text. 

The psalmist is praising the wonderful works of God 
in the heavens that silently declare his glory and power. 

How many of these inaudible prophets there are 
that speak through our eyes to our hearts ! 

Not only the mountains and the stars, but also the 
trees and the flowers, tell of a supernal Wisdom and 
Beauty abiding in the universe and shaping it as an 
artist shapes his work. 

It is worth remembering that most of the great 
astronomers and botanists have been great believers in 
God. 

I do not envy the man who can look up from the 
flaring lights and confused noise of the city streets, to 
the glittering faithful silent stars, without feeling the 
Divine Majesty ruling far above human turmoil. 

I do not envy the man who can consider a flower of 
the field without feeling the Divine Goodness. 


320 


KEEPING HUMAN LOVE ALIVE 
Let brotherly love continue.—Hebrews 13 : 1. 


Love for our fellowmen is a thing that is easy to 
profess, but bitterly hard to prove. 

The faults and follies of human nature are so appar- 
ent, the unlovely and contemptible qualities of many 
people thrust themselves so sharply upon our notice 
and repel us so constantly, that we are tempted to 
relapse into a life that is governed by its disgusts. 

If we dwell in the atmosphere of a Christless world, 
if we read only those newspapers which chronicle the 
crimes and meannesses of men, or those realistic novels 
which deal with the secret vices and corruptions of 
humanity, and fill our souls with the unspoken convic- 
tion that there is no man good, no woman pure, how 
can we help despising and hating mankind? Who 
shall deliver us from this spirit of bitterness? 

None but Christ. 

If we will go with him, he will teach us not to hate 
our fellowmen for what they are, but to love them for 
what they may become. 

He will teach us to look not for the evil which is 
manifest, but for the good which is hidden. 

He will teach us not to despair, but to hope, even for 
the outcast of mankind. 

And so, perchance, as we keep company with him, 
we shall learn the secret of that divine charity which 
fills the heart with peace, and joy, and quiet strength. 


321 


FAITH INDISPENSABLE 


Without faith it is impossible to please Him.—Hebrews 
Lips 6: 


How easy it is to see just why the writer of the Epistle 
to the Hebrews inserted that sentence where it stands! 

He is writing about the heroes of faith—the men and 
women who, from the very beginning of the world, 
have been bound together into one company by this 
great principle of all true and noble life. 

Among them he counts the patriarch Enoch. 

But as we look back to the brief record of Enoch’s 
life in the Book of Genesis we find that not a word is 
said there about his faith. 

By what right, then, is he included in the list ? 

Why is he counted among the faithful ? 

“T will tell you why,” says the writer of the Epistle: 
“It 1s because he obtained this testimony, that he 
pleased God. ‘This is proof positive that he must have 
had faith. 

“Where you find a flower, you know there must 
have been a seed. 

“Where you find a river, you know there must be a 
spring. 

“Where you see a flame, you know there must be a 
fire. 

“Where you find a man beloved and blessed of God, 
you know there must be faith. 

“Whether it is recorded or not, whether you see it 
or not, it must be there, germ of his virtue, fountain- 
head of his goodness, living source of warmth and light; 
for without faith it is impossible to please God.” 

We find faith in all truly great men—a confidence in 
something greater than themselves. 

322 


We find faith in all really lovable men—an allegiance 
to something finer than themselves. 

We find faith even in good men who hesitate to call 
themselves believers—a profound loyalty to truth and 
a steadfast search for it. 


323 


LIFE AND IMMORTALITY 


Who brought life and 1mmortality to light through the 
gospel.—II Timothy 1 : to. 


Our largest and most precious interests lie in the 
world to come. Jesus would arouse our souls to per- 
ceive and contemplate the immense issues of life. 

The perils that beset us here through sin are not brief 
and momentary dangers, possibilities of disgrace in the 
eyes of men, of suffering such limited pain as our bodies 
can endure in the disintegrating process of disease, of 
dying a temporal death, which at the worst can only 
cause us a few hours of anguish. 

A man might bear these things, and take the risk of 
this world’s shame and sickness and death, for the sake 
of some darling sin. 

But the truth that flashes on us like lightning from 
the word of Christ is that the consequence of sin is the 
peril of losing an immortal spirit. 

“TI will forewarn you,” says he, ‘whom ye shall fear: 
fear him which after he hath killed hath power to cast 
into hell: yea, I say unto you, fear him.” 

On the other hand, the opportunities that come to 
us here, through the grace of God, are not merely 
opportunities of temporal peace and happiness, they 
are chances of securing endless and immeasurable 
felicity, wealth that can never be counted or lost, peace 
that the world can neither give nor take away. 

We must understand that now the kingdom of God 
has come near unto us; that now we may lay hold, not 
only on a present joy of holiness, but on an everlasting 


life with God. 


324 


THE SIMPLICITY THAT IS IN CHRIST 


I fear lest your minds should be corrupted from the sim- 
plicity that 1s in Christ.—II Corinthians 11 : 3. 


There is no reason why religion should be made dark 
and difficult by talking about it in long, unfamiliar, 
antiquated words which cause people to wish for a 
dictionary. 

Nor is there any excuse for seeking to win the won- 
der and astonishment of men by obscure sayings and 
curious comparisons—mountains of eloquence which 
labor long and violently to produce a little mouse of 
practical sense. 

In ancient times the teachers of the people were told 
to read in the book of the Law of God distinctly, and 
give the sense, and cause the people to understand the 
meaning. 

Religion is full of mysteries. The object of the Bible 
is not to increase them, but to remove them. 

If a certain amount of mystery still remains, it lies 
in the subject, and not in the way in which it is treated. 

For the most part, the teachings and rules of Christ 
are so clear and direct that the wayfaring man, though 
a fool, need not err therein; they shed light and not 
darkness; they disperse the clouds and reveal the sun. 
‘Wisdom and understanding are great possessions; 
yet the gates of Heaven are open to little children. 

Jesus thanked God because he had revealed heavenly 
things unto babes. 


325 


MEN NOT CATTLE 


Thou madest him a little lower than the angels.—Psalm 
eS SY 


Christ looks upon the children of men, not as herds 
of “dumb driven cattle,’ but as living souls moving 
onward to eternity. 

He dies for men, not to deliver them from brief 
sorrows, but to save them from final loss, and to bring 
them into bliss that knows no end. 

He speaks to men in solemn words before which the 
dreams of earthly pleasure and power and fame and 
wealth are dissipated like unsubstantial vapors: 

“What shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” 

There never was a time in which Christ’s doctrine 
of the dignity and value of a man as man was more 
needed than it is to-day. 

There is no truth more important and necessary for 
us to take into our hearts, and hold fast, and carry out 
in our lives. 

For here we stand in an age when the very throng 
and pressure and superfluity of human life lead us to 
set a low estimate upon its value. 

The air we breathe is heavy with materialism and 
commercialism. 

The lowest and most debasing views of human na- 
ture are freely proclaimed and unconsciously accepted. 

There is no escape, no safety for us, save in coming 
back to Christ, and learning from him that man is the 
spiritual child of God, made in the divine image, ca- 
pable of the divine fellowship and an immortal life. 


326 


FOR YOUNG MEN 


I have written unto you, young men, because ye are 
strong.—I John 2: 13. 


I cherish the conviction that young men are really 
human beings. 

They are not a distinct species. 

They belong to the human race and are entitled to 
be humanly treated. 

The best life for them is not separate and artificial, 
but natural, simple, active, full of vigorous exercise 
for mind and body. 

The right education for them is not that of the clois- 
ter, in which they are divided from the world, but that 
of the home, the school, the university, the camp, the 
workshop, the athletic field, the market place, where 
liberty is joined to responsibility, and where they are 
taught to feel that they belong to the world, and are 
trained to play a noble, manly part in it. 

The true religion to guide them in this education, 
and fit them for this life, 1s not something novel and 
peculiar, specially devised for young men, but simply 
the plain religion of Christ, which is good for every- 
body, of every age and condition, and for all alike. 

But there is one thing in which young men, if not 
singular, are at least pre-eminent. 

They love straight speech and plain talk. 

They have a fine impatience of all mere formalities 
and roundabout expressions. 

Therefore, those who preach to young men should 
not use a theological dialect, but the English language, 
clear and strong. 


327 


THE HONOR OF COURAGE 


Be strong and of good courage.—Deuteronomy 31 : 6. 


Courage isan honorable virtue. 

Men have always loved and praised it. It lends a 
glory and a splendor to the life in which it dwells. 

The world delights in heroism, even in its rudest 
forms and lowest manifestations. Among the animals 
we create a sort of aristocracy on the basis of courage, 
and recognize, in the fearlessness of the game beasts 
and birds and fishes, a claim to rank above the timor- 
ous, furtive, spiritless members of creation. 

In man bravery is always fine. 

A daring foe is respected, and though we must fight 
against him, we can still honor his courage, and al- 
most forget the conflict in our admiration for his noble 
bearing. The enemy who slinks and plots and con- 
ceals—makes traps and ambuscades, seeks to lead his 
opponent into dangers which he himself would never 
dare to face—is base, serpentine, and contemptible. 

But he who stands up boldly against his antagonist 
in any conflict, physical, social, or spiritual, and deals 
fair blows, and uses hqnest arguments, and faces the 
issues of warfare, is a man to love even across the 
chasm of strife. 

An outspoken infidel is far nobler than a disguised 
skeptic. A brave, frank, manly foe is infinitely better 
than a false, weak, timorous friend. 

The literature of courage has always been immensely 
popular, and the history of the brave is written in let- 
ters of gold. 

It is this that men have loved to read in the strange, 
confused annals of war—deeds of self-forgetful daring 

328 


which leap from the smoke and clamour of battle, and 
shine in the sudden making of splendid names. 

It is the quality which levels youth with age, gives 
to woman the force of manhood, equalizes the peasant 
with the noble, and consumes all outward distinctions 
in the flame of glory.’ 


329 


THE USEFULNESS OF COURAGE 


Deal courageously, and the Lord be with the good.— 
{I Chronicles 19 : 11. 


Courage is a serviceable virtue. 

There is hardly any place in which it is not useful. 

There is no type of character, no sphere of action, in 
which there is not room and need for it. 

Genius is talent set on fire by courage. 

Fidelity is simply daring to be true in small things 
as well as in great. 

As many as are the conflicts and perils and hardships 
of life, so many are the uses and the forms of courage. 

It is necessary, indeed, as the protector and defender 
of all the other virtues. 

Courage is the standing army of the soul which keeps 
it from conquest, pillage, and slavery. 

Unless we are brave we can hardly be truthful or 
generous, or just, or pure, or kind, or loyal. 

“Few persons,’ says a wise observer, “have the 
courage to appear as good as they really are.” 

You must be brave in order to fulfil your own possi- 
bilities of virtue. 

Courage is essential to guard the best qualities of the 
soul, and to clear the way for their action, and make 
them move with freedom and vigor. 


“Courage, the highest gift, that scorns to bend 
To mean devices for a sordid end; 
Courage, an independent spark from Heaven's 
throne, 
By which the soul stands raised, triumphant, high, 
alone; 


330 


The spring of all true acts is seated here, 
As falsehoods draw their sordid birth from fear.”’ 


If we desire to be good, we must first of all desire to 
be brave, that against all opposition, scorn, and danger 
we may move straight onward to do the right. 


331 


THE COMFORT OF COURAGE 
He thanked God and took courage.—Acts 28 : 15. 


Courage is a comfortable virtue. 

It fills the soul with inward peace and strength; in 
fact, this is just what it is—courage is simply strength 
of heart. 

Subjection to fear is weakness, bondage, feverish un- 
rest. 

To be afraid is to have no soul that we can call our 
own; it is to be at the beck and call of alien powers, to 
be chained and driven and tormented; it is to lose the 
life itself in the anxious care to keep it. 

Many people are so afraid to die that they have 
never begun to live. 

But courage emancipates us and gives us to our- 
selves, that we may give ourselves freely and without 
fear to God. 

How sweet and clear and steady is the life into which 
this virtue enters day by day, not merely in those 
great flashes of excitement which come in the moments 
of crisis, but in the presence of the hourly perils, the 
continual conflicts. 

Not to tremble at the shadows which surround us, 
not to shrink from the foes who threaten us, not to 
hesitate and falter and stand despairing still among 
the perplexities and trials of our life, but to move stead- 
ily onward without fear, if only we can keep ourselves 
without reproach—surely, that is what the Psalmist 
meant by good courage and strength of heart, and it 
is a most comfortable, pleasant, peaceful, and happy 
virtue. 


THE PRUDENCE OF COURAGE 


Be of good courage and let us play the man.—II Samuel 
TOMI. 


There is a sharp distinction between courage and 
recklessness. 

The reckless man 1s ignorant; he rushes into danger 
without hesitation, simply because he does not know 
what danger means. 

The brave man is intelligent; he faces danger be- 
cause he understands it and is prepared to meet it. 

The drunkard who runs, in the delirium of intoxica- 
tion, into a burning house is not brave; he is only stupid. 

But the clear-eyed hero who makes his way, with 
every sense alert and every nerve strung, into the hell of 
flames to rescue some little child, proves his courage. 

The more keenly we are awake to the perils of life, 
the higher and grander is the possibility of being 
truly brave. 

To drift along, as some people do, through this 
world of sin, as if there were nothing in it to fear; to 
slide easily downward, as some people do, to the gate 
of death, as if there were nothing beyond it to fear; to 
sport and dance, and eat and drink and sleep, as some 
people do, under the arch of heaven, as if there were 
no One above it to fear—what is this but the part of 
the fool who hath said in his heart, ‘“‘ There 1s no God, 
there is no sin, there is no judgment”? 

But to face the temptations and perplexities and 
dangers of the world without yielding to fear; to pass, 
without trembling, by the dark portals of the grave ina 
faith that is stronger than fear; to dare to live in the 
presence of the holy, mighty God in the confidence of 
a love that casteth out fear—that is courage. 


SN, 


EVERYDAY COURAGE 


Be ye of good courage, and bring of the fruit of the 
land.—Numbers 13 : 20. 


Daring is only a rare and exceptional kind of courage. 

It is for great occasions: the battle, the shipwreck, 
the conflagration. 

It is an inspiration; Emerson calls it “a flash of moral 
genius.” 

But courage in the broader sense is an everyday 
virtue. 

It includes the possibility of daring, if it be called 
for; but from hour to hour, in the long, steady run of 
life, courage manifests itself in quieter, humbler forms 
—in patience under little trials, in perseverance in dis- 
tasteful labors, in endurance of suffering, in resistance 
of continual and familiar temptations, in hope and 
cheerfulness and activity and fidelity and truthfulness 
and kindness, and such sweet, homely virtues as may 
find a place in the narrowest and most uneventful 
life. 

There is no duty so small, no trial so slight, that it 
does not afford room for courage. 

It has a meaning and value for every phase of exis- 
tence; for the workshop and for the battlefield, for the 
thronged city and for the lonely desert, for the sick 
room and for the market place, for the study and for 
the counting house, for the church and for the drawing 
room. 

There is courage physical, and social, and moral, 
and intellectual—a soldier’s courage, a doctor’s courage, 
a lawyer’s courage, a preacher’s courage, a nurse’s 
courage, a merchant’s courage, a man’s courage, a 
woman’s courage—for courage is just strength of heart, 


334 


and the strong heart makes itself felt everywhere, and 
lifts up the whole of life, and ennobles it, and makes it 
move directly to its chosen aim. 


335 


THE DEEP SPRING OF COURAGE 


Wait on the Lord: be of good courage and he shall 
strengthen thine heart—Psalm 27 : 14. 


What is it that really strengthens the heart and 
makes it brave? 

There are many lesser things that help us, such as 
simple and wholesome physical life, plain food and 
vigorous exercise, a steady regard for great moral 
principles and ideals, a healthful course of reading, a 
sincere friendship with brave and true and single- 
minded men and women,a habit of self-forgetfulness and 
consecration to duty. 

But there is something greater and better than any 
of these—something which, in fact, includes them all 
and sums them up in a word, “‘ Wait on the Lord.” 

That is the truest and deepest source of courage. 

To believe that he is, and that he has made us for 
himself; to love him, and give ourselves up to him, 
because he is holy and true and wise and good and 
brave beyond all human thought; to lean upon him 
and trust him and rest in him, with confidence that he 
will never leave us nor forsake us; to work for him, and 
suffer for his sake, and be faithful to his service—that 
is the way to learn courage. 

Without God what can you do? 

You are a frail, weak, tempted, mortal creature. 

The burdens of life will crush you, the evils of sin 
will destroy you, the tempests of trouble will over- 
whelm you, the darkness of death will engulf you. 

But if you are joined to God, you can resist and 
endure and fight and conquer, in his strength. 

The lamp that is joined to the electric current glows 
with light. 


336 


The soul that is joined to the infinite source of cour. 
age in God, burns steadfast, serene, and inextinguish- 
able through life and death. 


33.7, 


THE COURAGE OF THE TIMID 


For they all would have made us afraid... . But 
now, O God, strengthen thou my hands.—Nehemiah 6 : 9. 


There is a’sharp distinction between courage and in- 
sensibility. 

Some natures are so constituted that they do not 
feel pain very keenly. To persons of this temperament, 
fear is comparatively a stranger. 

We must not suppose that this insensibility makes 
them brave. It simply exempts them from the necessity 
of courage. 

The bravest soul is that which feels the tremor and 
resists it, shrinks from the flame and faces it. 

Never was a better soldier than the old French 
marshal Montluc, who said that he had often gone into 
battle shaking with fear, and had recovered courage 
only when he had said a prayer. 

The same thing is true in moral trials. 

There are some people to whom reproach and ridi- 
cule and condemnation mean little. 

They simply do not care; they are pachydermatous. 

But there are others to whom the unkind word is 
like a blow, and the sneer like a sword thrust, and the 
breath of contempt like the heat of flames; and when 
they endure these things and face them, and will not 
be driven by them from the path of duty, they are 
truly courageous. 

Do you understand what I mean? 

Timidity is no more inconsistent with courage than 
doubt is inconsistent with faith. 


338 


INDIVIDUALISM AND SOCIALISM 


We have many members 1n one body, and all members 
have not the same office—Romans 12 : 4. 


The conflict between individualism and socialism 
comes from interpreting them in a mutually exclusive 
sense. 

Whereas, truly, each implies the other. 

A man alone is not a persona because there is no 
drama in which he has a part. 

On the other hand, the drama of human life has no 
vital meaning if it is played by marionettes instead of 
real persona. 

The significance of our mortal existence depends 
upon the dramatis persone—that is to say, the indi- 
viduals who act as members of society. 

“Whatever you are, be that,” is a good motto. 

For the man who is too timid or too lazy to be him- 
self is worth very little even as a “‘supe.” 

But he is bound also to consider whether ‘being 
himself”’ is likely to do any good to anybody else. 

It is a hard problem to work out in our own lives— 
this reconciling of the individual with society. 

But what did you expect, friend ? 

Is anything really interesting unless it is hard? 


339 


A LHOUGHI FOR CHRISTMAS 


Behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which 
shall be to all people.-—Luke 2 : Io. 


Do you think the war has spoiled Christmas ? 

Do you believe the coming revolution, the social 
upheaval, the triumph of materialism, the dictatorship 
of the proletariat, or whatever may be before us, 1s 
going to destroy Christmas and leave no room for its 
return? 

I tell you, no! 

Whatever turnings and overturnings, whatever 
calamity and ruin, are in store for this battered old 
world, you and I will never be poorer than the blessed 
Mary and Joseph when they walked to Bethlehem, and 
that same night 


“The stars in the bright sky looked down where He 
lay,— 
The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.” 


Whatever fantasies of government or no-government 
the brains of men may devise, the heart of man will 
always ask and take a day of rest and peace, gladness 
and good will to sweeten the long year. 


340 


THE COMMERCIAL VIEW OF LIFE 


They sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces 
of silver—Genesis 37 : 28. 


Suppose we take the commercial view of life. 

We shall then say that all things must be measured 
by their money value, and that it is neither profitable 
nor necessary to inquire into their real nature or their 
essential worth. 

Men and sheep are worth what they will bring in 
the open market; and this depends upon the supply 
and demand. 

Sheep of a very rare breed have been sold for as 
much as five or six thousand dollars. 

But men of common stock, in places where men are 
plenty and cheap (as for example in Central Africa), 
may be purchased for the price of a rusty musket or a 
piece of cotton cloth. 

According to this principle, we must admit that the 
comparative value of a man and a sheep is a very un- 
certain matter, and that there are times when the 
dumb animal is much the more valuable of the two. 

Of course, you perceive that this view, carried out 
to its logical conclusion, means slavery; and you call 
my attention to the fact that slavery has been abolished 
by common consent of the civilized world. 

Yes, thank God, that is true. We have done away 
with the logical conclusion. 

But have we gotten rid entirely of the premise on 
which it rested ? 

Does not the commercial view of life still exist in 
civilized society? 


341 


TO PLEASE GOD 


How ye ought to walk, and to please God.—I Thes- 
salonians 4 : 1. 


God can be pleased, then. 

He is not a cold abstraction, an immovable substance, 
a dull, unimpassioned, silent, joyless, mighty force. 

He is a person, capable of affections and emotions. 

He is a heart that feels. 

Delight is no stranger to him. 

His love is no vague, blind impulse, flowing dumbly 
toward all things alike. 

It is a seeking, choosing love; and when it finds the 
object of its search, a divine pleasure enters into it, 
larger, purer than we can understand, and yet like 
that which comes to us when we see the fairest and the 
best. 

He approves and blesses. 

His Spirit is filled with the music of pleasure. 

To waken that music, to win that approval, to please 
God—surely, that is the highest and holiest object for 
a human life. 

To please men is a natural impulse. 

To please good men—that is a nobler ambition. 

But there is a motive deeper and more intense than 
even this—it is the desire to please that one among 
our fellow creatures whom we have chosen, it may be, 
as the most loyal heart and true. 

But to please God, the perfect, radiant Being, the 
most wise, the most holy, the most beautiful, the most 
loving of all Spirits; to perform some task, achieve 
some victory, bring some offering that shall be accept- 
able to him, and in which he shall delight; simply to 
live our life, whatever it may be, so that he, the good 


342 


and glorious God, shall approve and bless it, and say 
of it, “Well done,” and welcome it into his own joy— 
that is a divine ambition. 


343 


GOD DESIRES TO BE TRUSTED 


The living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially 
of them that believe —I Timothy 4 : to. 


Faith is necessary because it is the only possible 
way of contact between God and man, the only way 
in which he can draw near to us, and save and bless us. 

And that, if you will believe it, is the one thing that 
he most desires to do. 

There is no compulsion laid upon him. 

He does not act as one who is performing an indif- 
ferent task. 

He is so good that he longs to deliver us from sin 
and death, to bring us to himself, to give us a place in 
his happy kingdom. 

This is his glory and his delight: to rescue the perish- 
ing, to raise the fallen, to forgive the sinful, to give 
life to the dying. 

He loves this work so much that he sent his own dear 
Son into the world to accomplish it. 

And nothing that you can do will please him so much 
as simply to let him save you, and help you to be 
good. 

Think for a moment: what can you do for anyone 
who does not trust you, who does not believe in you? 

Nothing. 

That barrier of mistrust stands like a wall of ice be- 
tween you and the soul that you desire to help. 

Is there anything that wounds you more than to be 
doubted and denied, and thrust away in suspicion or 
indifference? 

Truly that is the deepest and most bitter pain. 

Is there anything that pleases you more than to be 
trusted—to have even a little child look up into your 


344 


face, and put out its hand to meet yours and come to 
you confidingly ? 

By so much as God is better than you are, by so 
much more does he love to be trusted. 


345 


THE LITTLE PRESENTE 


Silver and gold have I none; but what I have, that give 
I thee.—Acts 3 : 6. 


The little present, or the rare and long-wished-for 
gift (it matters not whether the vessel be of gold, or 
silver, or iron, or wood, or clay, or just a small bit of 
birch bark folded into a cup), may carry a message 
something like this: 

“YT am thinking of you to-day, because it is Christ- 
mas, and I wish you happiness. 

“And to-merrow, because it will be the day after 
Christmas, I shall still wish you happiness; and so 
on, clear through the year. 

“IT may not be able to tell you about it every day, 
because I may be far away; or because both of us may 
be very busy; or perhaps because I cannot even afford 
to pay the postage on so many letters, or find the time 
to write them. 

“But that makes no difference. 

“The thought and the wish will be here just the 
same. 

“In my work and in the business of life, I mean to 
try not to be unfair to you or injure you in any way. 

“In my pleasure, if we can be together, I would like 
to share the fun with you. 

“Whatever joy or success comes to you will make me 
glad. 

“Without pretense, and in plain words, good will to 
you is what I mean in the Spirit of Christmas.” 


3.46 


KEEPING CHRISTMAS 


He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord.— 
Romans 14 : 6. 


It is a good thing to observe Christmas day. It helps 
one to feel the supremacy of the common life over the 
individual life. 

But there is a better thing than the observance of 
Christmas day, and that 1s, keeping Christmas. 

Are you willing to stoop down and consider the 
needs and the desires of little children; to remember 
the weakness and loneliness of people who are growing 
old; to stop asking how much your friends love you, 
and ask yourself whether you love them enough; to 
try to understand what those who live in the same 
house with you really want, without waiting for them 
to tell you; to make a grave for your ugly thoughts, 
and a garden for your kindly feelings, with the gate 
open—are you willing to do these things even for a 
day? 

Then you can keep Christmas. 

Are you willing to believe that love is the strongest 
thing in the world—stronger than hate, stronger than 
evil, stronger than death—and that the blessed life 
which began in Bethlehem nineteen hundred years 
ago is the image and brightness of Eternal Love? 

Then you can keep Christmas. 

And if you keep it for a day, why not always? 

But you can never keep it alone. 


347 


CHRISTMAS GIVING AND CHRISTMAS LIVING 


Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift.—I1 Co- 
rinthians 9 : 15. 


The custom of making presents on a certain day in 
the year is much older than Christmas. 

It has obtained in many ages and among many dif- 
ferent nations. 

It is a fine thing or a foolish thing, as the case may 
be; an encouragement to friendliness, or a tribute to 
fashion; an expression of good nature, or a bid for 
favour; a cheerful old custom, or a futile old farce, ac- 
cording to the spirit which animates it and the form 
which it takes. 

But when this ancient tradition of a day of gifts was 
transferred to the Christmas season, it was brought 
into vital contact with an idea which must transform 
it, and with an example which must lift it up to a 
higher plane. 

The example is the life of Jesus. 

The idea is unselfish interest in the happiness of 
others. 

The great gift of Jesus to the world was himself. 

He lived with and for men. 

He kept back nothing. 

In every particular and personal gift that he made 
to certain people there was something of himself that 
made it precious. 


348 


A CHRISTMAS PRAYER FOR THE HOME 


Father of all men, look upon our family, 
Kneeling together before Thee, 
And grant us a true Christmas. 


With loving heart we bless Thee: 

For the gift of Thy dear Son Jesus Christ, 

For the peace He brings to human homes, 

For the good will He teaches to sinful men, 

For the glory of Thy goodness shining in His face. 


With deep desire we beseech Thee: 
Help us to keep His birthday truly, 
Help us to offer, in His name, our Christmas prayer. 


From the sickness of sin and the darkness of doubt, 
From selfish pleasures and sullen pains, 

From the frost of pride and the fever of envy, 

God save us every one, through the blessing of Jesus. 


In praying and praising, in giving and receiving, 

In eating and drinking, in singing and making merry, 
In parents’ gladness and in children’s mirth, 

In dear memories of those who have departed, 

In good comradeship with those who are here, 

In kind wishes for those who are far away, 

In patient waiting, sweet contentment, generous cheer, 
God bless us every one, with the blessing of Jesus. 


By remembering our kinship with all men, 

By well-wishing, friendly speaking and kindly doing, 

By cheering the downcast and adding sunshine to day- 
light, 

By welcoming strangers (poor shepherds or wise men), 

By keeping the music of the angels’ song in this home, 

God help us every one to share the blessing of Jesus. 


349 


EVERYDAY FAITH 


Now faith 1s... a conviction of things not seen.— 


Hebrews 11: 1. (R. V.) 


Faith is riot a strange and far-away thing which can 
only be explained to us by a revelation. 

It is a principle of common life. 

We exercise it every day. 

It is simply the confidence in something which is 
invisible; as the Apostle says, “it is the substance of 
things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” 

Every time you receive the testimony of your fellow- 
men, every time you trust in the qualities of their 
character which are beyond the reach of your vision, 
every time you rely upon a law of logic in an argument, 
upon a law of nature in your action, upon a law of 
morality in your conduct, you exercise faith. 

It is the condition of reason, of activity, of human 
society. | 

“All politics and societies,” says a wise observer, 
“‘have come into existence through the trust of men in 
each other,’ and, we may add, through their trust in 
unseen principles of equity, and in future results of 
prudence, and in One higher than themselves whom 
they could neither see nor name. 

Take away confidence in the invisible, and the whole 
fabric decays, crumbles, and falls in ruin. 

Thus, even from the human point of view, faith is 
necessary. But from the divine point of view, it must 
appear infinitely more essential. 

For God made man to find his way through the 
world by trusting something which he cannot see— 
just as Columbus found America. 


350 


NOT AGAINST REASON BUT ABOVE 


By faith we understand that the worlds have been 
framed by the word of God, so that what is seen hath not 
been made out of things which do appear.—Hebrews 11 : 3. 


By faith we understand. 

It is a principle of comprehension, then, not of con- 
fusion; something which clarifies and enlarges the 
vision. ? 

It discloses not only the origin but also the purpose 
and the meaning of things. 

It is not the contradiction, but the crown and com- 
plement of reason. 

The world was made for its meaning, to show forth 
the wisdom, power, and goodness of God. 

If we do not see that, we see nothing. 

We may be able to tell how many stars are in the 
Milky Way; we may be able to count the petals of 
every flower, and number the bones of every bird; but 
unless faith leads us to a deeper understanding, a more 
reverent comprehension of the significance of the uni- 
verse, God can no more be pleased with our knowledge 
than the painter is pleased with the fly which touches 
his picture with its feeler, and sips the varnish from 
the surface, and dies without dreaming of the meaning, 
thought, feeling, embodied in the colors. 

But on the simplest soul that feels the wonder and 
the hidden glory of the universe, on the child to whom 
the stars are little windows into heaven, or the poet to 
whom 


“the meanest flower that blows can give 
Thoughts that do often lie too deep for tears,” 


God looks down with pleasure and approval. 
351 


For in such a soul he sees the beginning of faith, 
which is able to pass behind the appearance to the 
reality, and make its possessor wise unto everlasting 


life. 


352 


STRONG BELIEVERS 


By faith they passed through the Red Sea.—Hebrews 
11 43729. 


There are some who would persuade us that believ- 
ing is appropriate only to infancy and old age; that it 
is a kind of dreaming, an infirmity of the weak and vi- 
sionary. 

But the truth is otherwise. Carlyle says: 

“Belief is great, life-giving. 

“The history of a nation becomes fruitful, soul- 
elevaing, great, so soon as it believes. 

*“A man lives by believing something, not by debat= 
ing and arguing about many things.” 

Faith is power. 

It makes men strong, ardent, persistent, heroic. 

Nothing truly great has ever been done in any de- 
partment of the world’s work without faith. 

Let a man fasten himself to some great idea, some 
large truth, some noble cause, even in the affairs of 
this world, and it will send him forward with energy, 
with steadfastness, with confidence. 

This is what Emerson meant when he said, “‘ Hitch 
your wagon to a star.” 

These are the potent, the commanding, the enduring, 
the inspiring men—in our own history, men like Wash- 
ington and Lincoln, Roosevelt and Wilson. 

They may fall, they may be defeated, they may 
perish; but onward moves the cause, and their souls go 
marching with it, for they are part of it, they have be- 
lieved 1n it. 


353 


A CITY OF HOMES 


Except the Lord build the house, they labor 1n vain that 
build 1t.—Psalm 127 : I. 


There are pictures in this little psalm. 

First, we see the builder raising the walls of his 
house, and the watchman standing upon the city 
tower, keeping guard over the sleeping thousands, 
and we hear the declaration that building and watch- 
ing are in vain without the favor of the Lord. 

“An Gottes Segen ist Alles gelegen.” 

Then, we see the laborer going forth early to his 
work and returning late to eat the bread. which he has 
earned in the sweat of his brow; and we are reminded 
that the reward of all industry comes from God, and 
comes for the most part while man is helpless and un- 
conscious. 

“He giveth to his beloved in sleep’—so runs the 
true translation of the second verse; and this tells us 
that the largest blessings are conferred upon us “ with- 
out our restless self-activity, in a state of self-forget- 
fulness and quiet reliance upon the Divine goodness.” 

“God bestows his gifts during the night,” says the 
old German proverb. 

Sleep itself is a great blessing; and while we sleep 
the clouds are storing their supplies of moisture, the 
seeds are swelling in the earth, the grain is springing 
in the fields, the fruits are ripening on the tree, the 
harvest is growing golden in the mellow darkness of 
the autumn night. 

In truth, if we are wise and diligent, Nature is on 
our side and all God’s world is busy preparing our 


bread. 


354 


A TALE THAT IS TOLD 
We bring our years to an end as a sigh.—Psalm 90 : 9. h 


Well, then, you say life is a disappointment. 

But do you not see that if you have learned this be- 
forehand, it can never disappoint you ? 

The mistake is that we expect too much from the 
world. 

We find fault with it, and mourn over it, and berate 
it, because it is not heaven. 

But indeed it is a good world, if we will only take it 
for what it is. 

It is a place of pilgrimage, and surely pilgrimage has 
its advantages and pleasures. 

It is a place of discipline, and surely adversity hath 
its sweet uses. ; 

It is the place where our years pass away like a tale 
that is told; but then remember that it is God who is 
telling the tale; and if we will only listen to him in the 
right spirit, the progress of the story will be wonder 
fully interesting and its sequel wonderfully glorious. 

For this is the secret of it all, that life is not broken 
off short, but carried on in another volume. 

The one thing that we need to learn now is how to 
live so that the first volume shall be good and the sec- 
ond shall have the promise of being better. 


355 














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